


Till approaching time, when the chamber will be broken

by CrawlingInMyChaos



Category: BlazBlue
Genre: Becoming one goes wrong (right?), Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Ragna gets the short end of the stick again, Sharing a Body, Some sort of an AU, The Black Beast hasn't ruined everything yet, The Boundary is still a thing but almost nobody knows about it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-20 00:04:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 55
Words: 105,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14248728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrawlingInMyChaos/pseuds/CrawlingInMyChaos
Summary: While visiting the ruins of a church he once called home, Ragna discovers a basement that never was there before, prompting him to investigate it. Unfortunately, the thing he finds there has an unhealthy obsession with him and, to his dismay, succeeds in "becoming one with him". It doesn't go quite as the doll planned though.As if being stuck in a body disturbingly similar to his sister with a murderous girl in his mind wasn't bad enough, the world is in danger and they are the key to saving it.





	1. Awakening the chaos

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this idea sort of got stuck in my head and so I had to put it down on paper. Doing it within the canon setting would be quite difficult, so, I've decided to go for an AU. I also want to see what I can do with it.  
> I'm not going to try simply repeating BB's main plot except in a slightly different setting (it would be impossible considering what happens), but I'm not going to stay too far away from the source either as it's still fanfiction. Ragna or Nu separately (or together...especially together) certainly wouldn't work here.

A well familiar sight greets me. The same forest, the same grass and the same decrepit church...To think that we used to call this place "home". Time sure does fly.

Every year, I find myself going back here, but no matter how much time passes, nothing seems to occupy all this free space. All things considered, it should be free for picking, but apparently that's not the case. There's not even a single spiderweb in the ruined building. It's almost as if it's haunted or something, but if it was, then there would at least be a ghost or two. There's just...nothing here.

I'm not gonna complain about it though. I'd rather not have to deal with wild animals or other people. I've got more than enough shit to worry about as it is. This is what I get for putting some high-and-mighty assholes back in their places with a bit more force than needed...several times. Maybe I should take the old man's advice and tone it down a notch...or not. I always tell them to get out of my way or get a beatdown, so, it's their fault.

I'm getting sidetracked here. With a sigh, I sit down next to her grave and wind up her music box.

"Hey, It's me, Ragna. Came to visit you as usual, to tell you all the news. Surprisingly, I'm still kicking after all the trouble I've caused, but don't worry about it. I still haven't been caught despite the bounty on my head. Then again, they still haven't updated those posters. I wonder if they'll ever get the guy drawn on them...Anyway, that old man Jubei is still a pain in the ass to deal with, but it looks like he's finally getting the results he wanted. The last punishment I've got was a month ago, so, things are looking good. As for Jin, I haven't heard much of that bastard, but I'm sure he's fine. Heard that there's someone who's head over heels with him, but apparently neither is really doing anything about it. I'd take a look at this whole thing if I wasn't a wanted criminal and dealing with people like me wasn't their job. I guess that's all I have to tell you. Uneventful, but..."

...Damn it...It's been so long, but it never gets any easier. If only Saya was still here...

"...Well, I'll see you in a year. Sorry for not bringing anything this time. I w-"

Before I can say anything else, the ground beneath me starts shaking. I barely avoid losing my balance. Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stops. It's clearly not natural.

...There's some kind of noise coming from the church now. With ,y sword gripped tight, I go toward the ruined building. I doubt there's anyone inside, but I'm not taking any chances with this. Even if it's just a scavenger, I'm not about to let my guard down.

This building was clearly built to last. The old man discovered it in this run-down state, but it always felt like an impenetrable fortress. Not even the occasional storm left any real mark on it.

Unfortunately, a silent entrance becomes impossible when the door I push makes a loud groan. Well, at least now I don't have to tip-toe my way inside.

Once I'm inside, I immediately notice a large hole in the floor. On its own, it wouldn't be surprising, but there's something below. The hole is big enough for me to jump down. Still, there shouldn't be anything here. It certainly wasn't here a year ago. Did that earthquake do this? Doesn't sound likely.

After I jump into the hole, I find myself in what appears to be a hall. I can't see much here aside from some stone pillars and a large metal pillar at the end of it with a metal box at its base. I don't know what I'm trying to accomplish here, but I keep going anyway. Is it curiosity? Maybe. Luckily, it doesn't take me long to reach the metal box. Why is it even here? This hall feels poin-

Shit! The box closes and starts moving on its. Was it a trap? But then why hide it? It doesn't make any sense...Is it moving?...Yes, it is. Great, there's more to this than I thought.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the metal box grinds to a halt and opens. There's another hall here and despite lacking any visible light sources, I can still see something. Well, it's not like I know how to go back up, so, might as well keep going.

In a few minutes, I reach what appears to be the end of this mysterious basement. The only source of light here is the fiery chasm below, but it's more than enough to light up everything despite the sheer size of this structure. Some sort of coffin-like object hangs above the abyss with a set of platforms around it. A part of it looks like some sort of a sword from this distance. I've never seen anything like this before.

With caution, I proceed until I'm close to the center of this structure. Everything here appears to be made of metal, which is odd considering how big everything is. I can't even imagine how this thing was built. Whatever this is, it certainly makes me feel uneasy. It's li-

With a hiss, a metal door detaches itself from the coffin before falling into the abyss below, letting light pour from this opening. Then, something white emerges from it. So, it wasn't empty. Could it be the cause of that earthquake?...Wait, is this a person? If it is, they are in for a very painful landing...Or at least I thought so before they land gracefully.

The outfit this...girl is wearing is certainly unusual. Well, there's not much of it. Aside from a white cape and some sort of blu...That face...

"Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading..."

...that voice...

"Loading...complete. All systems: online. Murakumo Unit, activate...Ragna...? Oh! It's really you, Ragna! Did you come here to kill me again?...Hm, you look different. Did you do something to your hair?" - the...How does it know my name?!

"What...What the hell are you?!" - I shout at the thing wearing my dead sister's face. I really feel like breaking this thing now. That disgusting smile on its face vanishes as a look of confusion replaces it.

"You don't remember Nu? After everything you've done? Why don't you come over here and let your body do all the work? Come on, let's play!"

Suddenly, a giant sword crashes into the floor behind this bitch. Looks like my sword will come in handy today. I wanted to take my anger out on something anyway. This bitch will do the job just fine.

As soon as the dust clears up, something flies towards me. Instinctively, I bring my sword up to block its strike. It's wearing armor now, but that won't help i-

Something pierces my right shoulder, weakening my grip on the sword. I jump back just in time to avoid getting skewered by a long dark sword from above. When I look at my wound, I see a sword right before it disappears. Looks like this is going to be harder than I thought.

"You're not doing so well today. Are you sick or something?"

"Shut up!"

In an instant, the thing in front of me disappears only to reappear right behind me with its swords arched above its head. I block its strike, but the sheer force of the impact and the wound on my shoulder almost make me stagger. Fortunately, this leaves it open for a kick to its ribs. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it hurt it much. It actually frowns.

"Maybe it's a bad day for you? But don't worry, it happens with everyone!"

"I said shut the hell up!"

This time, it doesn't bother approaching me. Instead, space in front of it warps and dozens of dark swords fly toward me. Blocking them all would be stupid and so I roll out of the way. It doesn't seem to change its trajectory, which means th- I move aside when another sword emerges from the ground below me, followed by several more. I'm getting real sick of this shit.

"Gotcha!"

Before I can dodge, the damn thing wraps its arms around me. What is it doi- I get my answer when I feel something pierce me. With this bitch in the way, I can't see much, but I do see a blood-stained sword protruding from its back. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that I've been impaled too. Somehow, it doesn't hurt much.

"Hehehe...C'mon, Ragna! This...is our destiny!...The two of us...Are going to become one..."

"Wh...Why you..."

"Let's go lay somewhere warm..."

The thing is slowly moving towards the abyss, but I can't do anything about it. If it doesn't stop, we'll both fall, but I don't feel like resisting anymore...I just...need to...rest...


	2. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From now on, whoever is in the "back seat" will talk with an italic font and whoever is in control talks normally.

 

The first thing I know is that I feel like shit. The world around me simply can't stop spinning and this headache doesn't help it. It all just feels wrong. Is this what being drunk feels like? If it is, then I feel sorry for all those drunkards I see all the time.

Once everything stops moving, I sit up. The metal floor beneath me feels unpleasant to touch, but at least it's not cold. It's more li- Wait...metal...

I look around in search of that psycho, frantically turning my head left and right, but I can't see it. It didn't leave to rampage outside, did i-

I freeze when I see my own body lying several feet away from me. There's no sword sticking out of it, but there's plenty of blood...What the hell is going on?...Am I a...g-ghost?!

I scream at the thought of it and almost immediately clasp my hands over my mouth. The old man told that sometimes my screams do get a little too high-pitched, but this wasn't anything like that. Worse still, instead of feeling the fabric of my gloves, I feel skin. My fingers aren't supposed to be this thin either. Just to make sure, I move my hands in front of my face and WHAT THE HELL?!

" _This wasn't supposed to happen..._ "

So it's still here?! But where?

"What the hell did you do to me?! And what do you mean 'this wasn't supposed to happen'?" - I ask, wincing at the sound of...this voice.

" _Um...Well...We were supposed to become one, but..._ " - the thing trails off and I still can't find it. It shouldn't be hard to see it in a room like this, so, she can't be hiding...unless...the voice isn't coming from outside.

"Oh for the love of...Get out of my head!" - I shout at the voice in my head like some nutcase. Considering what just happened, I don't feel like I'm being unreasonable here.

" _Your head? But it's my head! And why would Nu leave? Oh, Raaagnaaaaaa, why don't you understand? This is such a wonderful thing!_ " - the voice whines.

"Wonderful thing?! Look, I don't know what's wrong with you, but waking up in a body that looks and sounds like your dead sister is NOT a wonderful thing and neither is finding your own damn corpse! Why do you look like her anyway? Are you just mocking me?!" - I yell, fed up with this thing's bullshit. Unfortunately, this is the only way for me to vent out my frustration.

" _Corpse? But you're still alive...for now._ "

...Shit. This isn't good. I try to stand up, but it's harder to do than it should be. Feeling a bit wobbly on my legs isn't going to stop me when my life is on the line here, but it does make this more of a pain in the ass to deal with. Luckily, all that armor is gone now and my body is not too far away from me. I can't imagine what walking with those armored legs would feel like.

Once I'm within reach, I bend down to pick up my body and somehow, it's not as heavy as it should be. I'm not sure if it's due to blood loss or because of this body, but I don't have the time to think about it. This whole structure is linear in design, so, I shouldn't get lost.

_"...Do you hate me?"_

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Of course I do, you idiot!" - I reply. I certainly didn't expect this...or a fit of ear-grating mad laughter that follows my answer.

" _Even now, you're trying to deny me? Oh, Ragna...Ragna...Ragna..._ " - it says, the pitch of its voice growing higher as it repeats my name.

"That's enough! What is your problem anyway?" - I ask. If this bitch is going to be in my head all the time, then I might as well try to find a way to avoid getting into more trouble.

" _Problem?_ "

"Yeah, what's all this 'becoming one" business all about? Why me? I don't remember ever seeing you before, but you know my name and claim that I've killed you before. What's up with that?" - I clarify.

" _You really don't remember? But it was so wonderful! It hurt so much...You slashed me...pierced me all over...when I was completely_ _defenseless...You were smiling..."_  - it replies...Yeah, that couldn't have been me.

"...You're not going to answer my questions, are you? Can you at least tell me what the hell you are supposed to be?" - I ask in vain hope that I can get something meaningful out of this thing.

" _Existence description...Dimensional boundary contact prime force No. 13 Anti-Sankishin core unit, Nu."_ \- the voice replies...Damn, that's a mouthful.

"Alright...Nu, do you know what to do with this thing?" - I ask, pointing at the metal box at the end of the hall.

" _Eh? Have you never seen an elevator before?_ " - Nu asks.

"Of course not! Now tell me what to do!" - I reply hastily.

" _See that metal thing over there? Press that protruding square piece on the top left of it._ " - it instructs as if it's talking to a child. Needless to say, it doesn't improve my mood. Still, I follow its every word. It's hard to see what I'm doing with the body I'm holding getting in the way, but I still manage to press something. " _Now step into the elevator, which is that metal box._ "

As soon as I enter the..."elevator", it starts moving again. This time, there's no feeling of my stomach going into my throat. How does this elevator work anyway? What's the point of this whole thing? It looks too advanced to be man-made and it's not protected well enough to be something made by mages. All I had to do to get here is jump down a hole and then walk forward. The thing I'm stuck in at the moment is also unusual. I've seen it make swords appear out of nowhere without uttering a single word and I can't find any wounds on its body either. It's like nothing happened...Wait...

I lay my body on the ground and examine it closely. To my surprise, there are no wounds there either. The blood is still there, but my read coat has no holes in it. That's both relieving and troubling...Good grief, what kind of shit did I get myself into?

Finally, the elevator reaches its destination. I pick up my body again and head toward the end of this hall. While the metal floor down below was surprisingly warm, the stone here is cold and walking on it barefoot is just as unpleasant as it sounds. Now I wish that armor it wore was still on its body.

Luckily, I don't have to go through this for long as everything around me suddenly changes. What once was a dimly lit hall is now a lush rose garden. I know this place and its owner very well.

"...What do you want, rabbit?" - I ask. I really doubt she would waste her time and energy for something unimportant. Unfortunately, "relieving boredom" is important to her as well.

"I do not recall giving you permission to speak, child, but I shall answer your question. It appears that you are in possession of something which belongs to me. Naturally, I want it back." - the bloodsucker replies...Wait, what?

"Since when am I your thing, you idiot?!" - I shout as I turn to face the annoying little girl.

"How dare you yell at the princess?!" - Rachel's umbrella yells indignantly.

"Yeah, let's show this girl why you don't m-"

"Silence." - the vampire commands as she backhands the fat pink bat and squeezes her umbrella's handle. "You clearly require a lesson in humility, you fool. Be thankful that I am willing to give you one at no cost."

I jump back in time to avoid getting hit by a lightning bolt. I really wish it didn't have to come to this.

"Hey, that's enough! If you don't get outta my way, I swear I'm gonna make you cry!" - I warn, but all I get by doing so is a bat to my face. It doesn't hurt much th-

Suddenly, a black muscular arm launches me into the air with a well-aimed uppercut, forcing me to drop...well, myself. I manage to land on my feet, but it still stings.

"Oh? I would like to know how you intend to accomplish that." - the rabbit says.

I try to retort only to find myself unable to move. This body simply refuses to do anything...This isn't good.

"Target confirmed. Obstruction confirmed. Commencing annihilation of the target." - Nu says without a hint of emotion, but now it's actually in control of its body again, letting it do whatever it wants.

I feel something appear behind me and, with a bright flash of light, armor appears on Nu's body. Vampires are pretty damn durable, but I'm not sure how well Rachel will fare against this thing.

The vampire is surprised, but it doesn't make her let her guard down. Even as dozens of swords make their way towards her location, she doesn't panic. Instead, she blows them all away with a strong gust of wind. It even manages to make Nu stumble...and blow my body away like some sort of a tumbleweed...I really should have left it somewhere else.

" _What the hell are you doing?!_ " - I yell at Nu.

"I can't let that girl hurt MY Ragna! I must kill her! Now!" - Nu replies. Looks like I need to take control of this body again or else someone is going to get hurt.

"...To think that I was afraid of getting bored today...Very well. Entertain me, child."


	3. Queen of Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long live George XIII.

Damn, Nu really doesn't want me to interrupt this fight.

So far, all I've managed to accomplish is a twitch of fingers. It doesn't hinder Nu and it doesn't look like it has noticed anything yet. I don't know what it's going to do if it realizes that I'm trying to take over its body and I'm not about to find out.

Knowing that shooting swords is useless, Nu creates dozens of portals all around Rachel only for the vampire's umbrella to shatter all the swords that jut out of them. The sight of a black muscular cat rapidly punching all these swords would be comical if these two idiots weren't fighting to death.

Another lighting bolt fails to hit its target as Nu puts up a green barrier above it. So far, none of them managed to hit it. It either dodges or blocks all attacks as if it knows everything ahead of time. Even when Nu's clearly angry, it still doesn't let it affect it, which is more than I can say about myself.

"Systems activate."

Space below Rachel distorts as swords jut out of their portals, forcing the vampire to jump...which is exactly what the damn thing wanted from her.

"Within calculations. Altering time-space."

Some sort of purple energy gathers below Rachel before she almost slams into the ground, but instead of getting skewered by the swords summoned earlier, she lands an inch away from them thanks to the wind slightly altering her trajectory. The way she stumbles upon landing worries me. That idiot is going to get herself in trouble quickly if things keep going this way.

"Gravity Seed? What do you hope to accomplish by using such a dull spell? Tempest Dahlia."

Once again, a gust of wind tries to blow Nu away and once again, it doesn't work as it remains firmly rooted in its pl- Wait, is she actually trying to ruin her garden? The whole thing has been uprooted! How can there be so many rose petals anyway? I can't see shit because of the- Suddenly, Nu swings its arm and I feel something wet splatter over its face. It couldn't have reached Rachel so quickly, so, she's safe, bu- Nu's arm blade meets another target and this time, I hear a metal clang...This is gonna hurt, won't it?

I feel something pierce its stomach before wind blows Nu away. It recovers before lighting can hit it, but the damage has been done. Fortunately, the pain seems to be dulled even further when I'm not in control, but bleeding out is never a pleasant feeling.

The rose petals have dispersed enough for me to see a bladed umbrella in Rachel's hands before it goes back to its normal shape. That cat is more useful than I thought. Still, if Nu can survive impaling herself with a giant sword, then I don't see how this is going to do much.

"Increasing target's threat level. Unleashing limiters."

I feel...something change and I have a really bad feeling about it...Shit, it looks like Nu's going all out. Now the amount of swords created is doubled and even that black cat can't keep up with it. It still manages to hit most of the swords threatening to impale its master, but now Rachel herself has to move out of the way to dodge whatever happens to slip past her umbrella's flurry of punches. She doesn't even try to attack Nu anymore, focusing her attention on dodging instead.

"Sky Blade!"

Several much larger portals appear around Rachel...Damn, if I don't stop it right now, Rachel will get hurt. She can't escape will all those smaller swords in the way and I don't think her umbrella can destroy these giant swords. Alright, it's either now or never!

"ENOUGH!" - I shout, halting Nu's movements before it can command its swords to pierce their target. I can still feel some resistance coming from this body's owner. That bitch is really eager to kill Rachel.

" _What...What are you doing? Why? Why, Ragna?! Why won't you let me kill her?! Is it...Is it because...But she can't have you! You're mine and only mine!_ " - Nu keeps screaming. It's really jarring how she can go from calm and collected to batshit insane so quickly...Wait, did something just croak?

"Huh? A frog? What is a frog doing heEEEEEEEEE-"

"That's enough, George the Thirteenth." - Rachel whispers to the frog and holy shit, why the hell does she have an electric frog?! Why is that even a thing?!

"Can...Can we just stop this fight and talk like normal people?" - I suggest, doing my best to ignore both the lingering pain and Nu as well.

"...Very well. I feel merciful today. Now then, Ragna, would you mind telling me how this happened? You always were keen on getting in trouble, but this is quite unusual even for you." - the rabbit...wait, how did she r- "If you're wondering how could I recognize you in your current state, then perhaps you should pay more attention to your words."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean, you idiot?" - I ask indignantly.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. Now then, a proper explanation is in order, preferably without your companion's input."

* * *

After telling that damn rabbit everything that had happened in the church's basement, I've realized just how stupid that whole thing was. Rachel's familiars aren't even trying to pretend that they don't think this is funny.

"...I see. Your stupidity never ceases to amuse me. However, I am not done with you just yet. While I was busy with you, my dinner has grown cold and I do not wish to burden Valkenhayn more than I have to. I've heard nothing but praise for your culinary skills and so I wish to have a taste myself. I hope you will not disappoint me. Gii will lead you to the kitchen." - Rachel says before sipping her cup of tea. I haven't even touched mine.

"You've heard the princess! Now let's go!" - the fat pink bat, Gii, shouts with his annoying voice.

"Alright, alright, just shut up!" - I yell at the bat, trying to swat it away only to lose my balance and trip.

"Scary, scary!" - Gii mocks me gleefully. I swear I'm gonna tear that flying pig apart as soon as I get my hands on him.

Fortunately, Nu has stopped yelling at me a while ago and was kind enough to get rid of its armor, but I can still feel a headache coming on. I really shouldn't let my guard down with that psycho in my...its head.

At least that old fart wasn't there to rip my throat out as soon as the fight started. I'm actually surprised he still hasn't shown up after all this time. Is he busy with something else? If he is, it has to be something important.

"We're here. Now do your job and don't think that I'm gonna let you out of sight!"

* * *

Despite all the shit I've gone through today, cooking is still just as natural as it always was. This simple meat dish might not be the most expensive of them all, but it should be good enough. Judging by the pleased look on her face, she's not going to insult me for at least a minute or two. Thank Go-

Suddenly, the vampire catches on fire.

"Princess!"

"Waah!"

"...It appears that I have been set ablaze. Ragna...Promise me never to cook anything again." - Rachel says...How the hell did I manage to fuck up like this?! It...It never happened before...

"Madam Rachel, I h- WHAT IN THE BLAZES?!" - I hear a much older voice cry out in surprise right behind me. I can see why he would be so surprised. Still, he couldn't have picked worse timing.

"Oh, your timing is impeccable. Please, take this plate and lock it away somewhere where it may never see the light of day again. You are free to use any resources necessary." - the rabbit says before putting out the fire with a clap of hands and a gust of wind.

"V...Very well. Is there anything else you need?" - the butler asks, looking at the dish with utter disgust...Now that I look at it, it really doesn't look right.

"I would like you to find a suitable place where we could keep Ragna's body safe until we can resolve this...situation." - the vampire adds, pointing at my body laying among roses, which have regained their petals at some point while I was away.

"As you wish." - the old fart complies, somewhat roughly hoisting my body onto his shoulder and taking the accursed plate with his free hand before going back into the castle.

"Wait, what are you doing?! Give it ba- OW!" - I yelp as the damn rabbit yanks on a lock of hair sticking out of my head. I should probably get rid of it just to avoid having this happen in the future.

"Have some patience. There is much to discuss and so I want you both to listen. Now, are you aware of the fact that you are carrying an unknown Nox Nyctores?"


	4. A piece of advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this is where things get different. This is an AU after all.

Nox Nyctores - weapons of unknown origin with unique properties that are almost impossible to replicate with technology or magic. Only nine are known to exist and most of them are kept somewhere safe or used by NOL. I remember Jubei telling me about them when I asked him about his pair of weapons. Mucro Somnio: Musashi is the only one of them I've seen so far, but that alone was enough for me to realize why everyone's so eager to get their hands on them.

"Are you sure about that? How can you tell?" - I ask. If Nu actually has a Nox, then we're in for trouble.

"Did you notice anything during our fight?" - she asks in response.

"You've got to be more specific than that." - I reply. There was a lot of stuff to keep track of.

"I am loath to admit it, but I did not come out of our fight unscathed." - the rabbit says, pulling her sleeve up to show me a small scratch on her left forearm.

"I'm sorry, but I don't follow." - I say after examining her wound. What's so special about it?

"Use that miniscule brain of yours and think about it. Why would a vampire retain such minor damage?" - Rachel asks...Ah, I get it now. A Nox can harm even a vampire and wounds dealt with them are much harder to heal.

"...I really can't catch a break, can I? Alright, sure, we've got even more shit to worry about. What else is there that you want to talk about?"

"That would be Nu herself." - the vampire replies before sipping her cup of tea.

"That thing? What about it?" - I ask, waiting for her to put her cup down.

"Your companion is quite clearly not a human. While I was not sure of it at first, George the Thirteenth proves it. Any normal human would have been killed by its discharge, but you were still in prime fighting condition. In addition to that, that pumpkin I threw at you should have been impossible to detect under those circumstances. There is clearly more to her than meets the eye." - Rachel replies, briefly glancing at that damn frog hopping in her garden.

"Anything else about it?"

"That wound I gave you earlier is gone now, isn't it? There is a good reason for that. While Nu is quite durable on her own, there is also a connection between you and her. I have not seen anything like this before, but I do have some knowledge of it. It is called a Life Link. To put it in simple terms, if one lives, the other does too. Your death will be recognized only if both of you are killed. However, that doesn't mean you can abuse it. If you take too much damage, you will be incapacitated until your wounds heal. This is precisely why you must be separated from your own body." - she adds. That's convenient I guess, but I'd rather have things go back to normal.

"So wh-"

"Still your tongue until I am done, young lady. Now then, what is your planned course of actions? Do you wish to undo your companion's mistake or would you like to keep things as it is? I would gladly offer you the position of a maid. However, should you choose to take my offer, do not expect yourself to be treated any differently from my servants." - she says. Something tells me that she just wants to torment me more.

"Yeah, no thanks. I've seen what you do with your pets and I'm not about to put up with that kind of abuse. I'd rather get my own body back and be done with this shit. I don't know where to start, but I'll figure that out. Once I'm back to my old elf, I'll destroy this damn thing." - I say in response. She frowns.

"I would suggest you stop trying to dehumanize her any longer. I take it that you are merely trying to put as much distance between her and your sister as possible, but it will do you no good. As it is, you have no choice but to cooperate with her. While I do not know the full extent of her mental illness, I doubt such treatment is going to help it." - the vampire warns me.

"What's your point? You're not the one who has to deal with i-

"My point is that you should not treat her as a mere mockery of your sister without knowing anything about the circumstances of her upbringing. You two must work together if you wish to accomplish anything." - Rachel interrupts me before I can say anything else.

"...Alright, fine. Are we done here?" - I ask, a bit more annoyed than I'd like to be.

"Yes. You are free to go."

Finally, I am free to go. I stand up from my c-

" _Ragna?_ "

...Of course.

"What is it, Nu?" - I ask, half-expecting more nonsense.

" _What if I told you that I know how to fix everything?_ "

"Then spill it out!" - I yell at the thi- girl in my head, earning a disapproving look from Rachel.

" _We just need to find the Azure Grimoire!_ " - Nu says, excitement clear in her voice.

"The what? Sorry, but I've never heard of it."

" _You...You don't know what it is? Azure Grimoire is a high-density mass of concentrated s-_ "

"So can it fix this or not?" - I interrupt her as I don't have time for lectures.

" _Yes, if you find it, everything will be exactly as it should be!_ " - Nu confirms.

"Then let's just find it. Hey, rabbit, do you know anything about something called Azure Grimoire?" - I ask the vampire still siting at her table.

"I'm afraid I have never heard of such a thing. NOL may have information regarding this grimoire or at the very least its whereabouts." - she replies...Damn, looks like she's not going to be able to help me here. I'm all on my own. Again.

"Alright, now where did you put my body? I'd like to take some things before leaving."

* * *

Maybe taking my jacket and sword wasn't such a good idea. They are too big for Nu's body and I'm sure that people are going to start asking unnecessary questions when they see me. Nu also told me that they are going to get in the way when she activates her...Murakumo? I think that was the name. I still don't know what exactly it does and I don't feel like asking that psycho about it.

Speaking of Nu, I really don't like how she's acting now. She was furious when I stopped her from killing Rachel, but now she's back to normal as if nothing happened. In addition to that, she's way too eager to help me with this whole thing. Didn't she want this to happen? How does she know something that even Rachel never heard of? Still, I don't have much of a choice here. I can either search for this Azure Grimoire thing or sit on my ass and do nothing until I think of something to do.

Finally, I leave that blasted basement and push the do-

...What the hell happened here?

" _Extremely high seithr concentration detected._ " - Nu warns me with her voice devoid of emotion.

I...I can feel something in the air, but what bothers me more is the sheer amount of corpses littering what once was a serene landscape. It don't see any wounds on them, but they are not breathing. It doesn't look like there was much of a battle either. These guys were obviously from NOL judging by their uniforms, but what were they doing here? They couldn't have been here for me. I always make sure that I am all alone when I come here. Is it somehow related to Nu? A Nox Nyctores would draw a lot of attention after all. Or m-

Saya's grave...It's been all...Who...What is the meaning of this? Who dares to defile her grave?!

...I'll make sure that whoever did this will pay with interest, but for now, I have to calm down. If I don't keep myself in check, Nu will take advantage of it.

Now then, the NOL branch in Kagutsuchi should be our destination as it's the closest one to me at the moment. Nobody should be able to recognize me, but I still don't know how to actually get there without making much noise.

Eh, screw it, I'll just barge in and deal with whoever tries to stop me. I can't get in more trouble than I am in right now, so, I don't feel like I should worry about any of this. I already have a bounty on my head. It can't get worse.

...Where is the music box? I don't know who the hell thought it's a good idea to mess with someone's grave, but why would anyone take something like this?

...I should get moving. I don't want to waste any more time and I really doubt this mess is going to be left unnoticed.


	5. Bullet Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this isn't from Ragna's POV, it's written in 3rd person.

To put it lightly, this wasn't a very good day for Noel Vermillion.

All things considered, it started off relatively well. The weather was fine, there wasn't any work to be done and Major still hasn't said anything bad to her. Not having work to do means no need to report anything and, as bad as he gets at times, Jin Kisaragi never goes out of his way to make her life worse. On the contrary, he always tries to avoid spending any more time with her than absolutely necessary. It still bothers her, but it's much better than having to endure his verbal abuse. She doesn't know why exactly he treats her like this, but it seems to be something personal that he would rather not talk about and so Noel doesn't ask.

Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for worse when the unit sent to investigate the strange activity in an abandoned church did not contact them as instructed. Worse still, it's been a few days since then and they still haven't returned. It's obvious that something bad happened there, but Noel still hopes that it's just Colonel Relius getting distracted by something he deemed interesting. It worried her much less than the thought of the whole unit getting wiped out, something that would take a lot of effort when Relius Clover's wife, Ignis, was accompanying them.

However, she could not express her opinion on this matter. All she could do was report this incident to Major Kisaragi.

"Hmph. Worthless trash." - Jin says after Noel finishes her report. Such remark does not sit well with her even if it's not aimed at her for once, but saying anything about it wouldn't be a good idea.

"S-So...Um, what are your orders...Major? - the Lieutenant asks, somewhat uncomfortable in Jin's presence.

The look he gives her as soon as she asks her question makes that feeling grow even stronger. At this point, whatever he has in store for her is guaranteed to be at the very least unpleasant. Even if he doesn't try to make her life harder, he still does it.

* * *

Noel was right. Jin ordered her to go to the church and take care of whatever is there herself. A wielder of a Nox Nyctores should be able to handle such matters with ease. Sending one of those is a much better option than simply throwing more ill-equipped soldiers at the problem until it goes away.

Fortunately, the Lieutenant is the wielder of Arcus Diabolus: Bolverk, which suppresses unnecessary emotions like fear. She still doesn't know why it chose her, but it is quite useful. It's also how she managed to obtain her current position. As these weapons severely outclass even the best enchanted weapons, it is much easier to simply recruit their wielders. Attempts to confiscate them usually don't go well.

However, even with her Nox doing its work, she can't help but notice how silent the forest is. She never went here before, but she doesn't think it's supposed to be like this. There are rumors about the church being cursed or haunted, but nothing about the forest it's located in. Not even the wind breaks this eerie silence. It's almost as if everything just suddenly died here.

"Maybe I should have asked for help...Or maybe...Hm..."

While having some company would be nice, it would also put them in danger if there is someone or something waiting for them at the church or on their way there. It's not a common problem, but it still happens from time to time. Those villagers are too nice to get them in trouble when she can avoid it. Major Kisaragi's assistance would be welcome, but he is busy with other things at the moment and so she has to do it all alone.

After what felt like eternity, the blonde finally hears a sound other than her own footsteps. It would be relieving if it wasn't a high-pitched scream. There was something wrong about it and the way it made her muscles twitch makes it clear that it didn't come from a human. The Lieutenant turns toward the source of the sound to find a rare sight.

The undead, as rare as they are, still appear from time to time. Last time it happened, there was a vampire involved, but he has been taken care of. The monster in front of her is obviously one of such creatures. Aside from three horns on its head and missing fingers, it looks like a large golden human skeleton wreathed in grey flames. If this is the thing responsible for this mess, then there's more to it than its size. If it's not, then it still needs to be put down.

Normally, fighting in a forest with firearms would be a bad idea, but Bolverk makes that much easier. As soon as the skeleton moves, Noel aims at its head and the space near its skull explodes. It fails to deal much damage, but it stuns the monster long enough for her to get close enough to deliver a leg sweep, making it lose balance and trip. Before it can fall on top of her, Noel performs a backflip and launches her enemy into the air with a kick to its jaw, breaking it in the process.

To Noel's surprise, the undead creature actually manages to recover before landing. The blue flames in its empty eyesockets still haven't lost their focus on the blonde and as soon as its feet are back on the ground, it dashes towards the girl with it left arm raised. The Lieutenant blocks its strike, but the sheer force put into it almost makes her bend fall and the size of the skeleton's hand forces her to use both guns to block, leaving her open for a punch to her ribs that sends her flying.

Noel can feel something break, but Bolverk forces her to push it aside and focus on the enemy, which is already running towards her to resume its assault. The landing doesn't go as well as she'd like to, but she chooses to ignore it as well. Knowing that trying to block the skeleton's attacks is futile, the blonde turns her pair of guns into a single weapon with long cylindrical shape and a large explosive projectile sticking out of its front. With a hiss, the missile leaves Bolverk's Thor form and flies into her enemy. The undead monster doesn't have enough time to dodge and the missile hits its target, detonating on impact and leaving behind nothing but ash, smoke and golden bone shards.

"Wh...What was...that?...Eh?"

Before Noel can come closer to examine whatever is left of the monster, it turns into smoke and vanishes.

Could it really be the culprit? It was surprisingly fast and strong, but that wasn't enough to wipe out the whole unit. Could it be that there was something special about that scream? It makes sense, but it still doesn't explain everything. Even if it could paralyze normal soldiers with it, Colonel Relius and Ignis are resistant to such things thanks to their...modifications and so it wouldn't do much against them.

Unfortunately, Noel doesn't get much time to think about it when she senses something quickly approaching her location. She can feel the air grow thicker as something vile permeates it. It gets much harder to breathe as the thing gets closer. In a matter of seconds, the amorphous monster enters her line of sight. It can only be described as a living shadow with red lines akin to veins covering it.

If not for her Nox Nyctores, Noel would be frozen with fear and unable to dodge the clawed limb the monster has just grown out of its body. Whatever it is, Noel doesn't want to touch it. Transforming her weapon back into its default form, the girl tries to increase the distance between herself and the newcomer, shooting shadowy tendrils the monster grows to attack her with. For some reasons, it doesn't try to move from its spot despite being fast enough to catch up with her. That bothers Noel, but she keeps running.

"Is it...poisonous?"

The Lieutenant can feel her body slowly breaking down from whatever that monster was emitting, but she has to get rid of it or else she may not be its last victim. The thought of dying was scary to her even with Bolverk suppressing her fear, but the thought of others dying when she could prevent it from happening was worse.

Suddenly, the living shadow turns into black mist and retreats into the ground below. Noel stops running and prepares to dodge another strike, but the monster reforms right behind her and slashes her back before she can react. Once again, the girl chooses to ignore the pain and transforms her weapons into a much larger gun with a long barrel. Her enemy doesn't even think of escaping when the barrel of Bolverk's Sleipnir form opens and unleashes a bolt of electricity that completely annihilates the monster.

Finally, with all threats gone, Noel lets herself collapse from exhaustion and the wounds received. She could have ran away when she had the chance and lived for much longer, but she doesn't regret staying and eliminating these monsters. That was her job and it was done well. The only thing she regrets now is being unable to see her friends and parents ever again.

The last thing the girl hears before losing consciousness is what sounds like her own voice coming from somewhere to her right.


	6. Another one?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, back to Ragna the Whatedge.

When I've heard some ruckus in the forest not far from us, I did not expect to see...this.

"You've got to be kidding me...Another one?!"

In front of me lies an unconscious girl around Nu's size with blonde hair and fair skin. Judging by her uniform, she's from NOL. Just like Nu, she has HER face and something tells me she has her voice as w-

" _Terminating target._ "

I shatter the sword aimed at the girl's neck with a kick as soon as I hear the distinct sound of warping space. I can already see how she's going to be a pain in the ass to deal with in the future.

"Can you NOT do that?...Uh, whatever. Do you know her or something?" - I ask, hoping for a negative answer. If this girl is also some nutcase, then I'd better get the hell out of here.

" _Scanning...Scanning...Scanning...Scanning...Target unknown._ " - Nu replies. Good.

I walk past the girl's body...but I can't just leave her here. If she doesn't get medical attention quickly, she'll die soon. I don't know who she is, but if that happens, I'm not gonna be able to sleep well at night, especially not when she...Damn it, why do I always get in deep shit like that?

" _What are you doing?_ " - Nu asks when I pick up the wounded girl. I can see where this is going.

"Helping someone in need in exchange for a favor. That's all there is to it." - I reply flatly.

" _...Okay!_ " - Nu says cheerfully...wait, what?

"Huh? You're not gonna scream my head off telling me to kill her? Alright, now I'm actually getting worried about you." - I say in response to her unusual behavior and she starts giggling.

" _Aw, Ragna...You're worried about Nu? We really are meant to be together..._ " - she says in a somewhat annoying tone. Yeah, I don't feel like wasting my time on her any longer. I'll just focus my attention on the girl in my arms.

If my own body was light, then hers feels almost like nothing. It's weird, but I'm not gonna complain. That only means that I can reach the nearest clinic faster. Once we're there and this girl is all patched up, then I'll ask her some questions. If she doesn't know anything, then I'll leave her there to pay for the treatment...but if she refuses to tell me anything, then they'll have a hard time putting her back together. Won't be the first time or last time either.

...Hm...what if...

"Hey, Nu, can you tell me what's wrong with her? Aside from the wound on her back. I can see that myself."

" _Scanning...Scanning...Scanning...Scanning complete. Major internal damage and seithr poisoning detected. You should just leave her here. She'll die soon._ " - Nu replies.

...Shit...I'd better start running then. Trying to run while holding someone who matches my current size is really awkward, but I can't hold her any other way. And yet, despite running so fast and having only one working eye, I can still see the path in front of me very well. That's neat, I guess. I still want to get rid of this body though.

* * *

Around fifteen minutes later, I can finally see the outskirts of a village. I don't feel tired at all, but even if I was, I cannot afford to stop until this girl gets the treatment she needs.

Unfortunately, running like this ends up drawing unnecessary attention. To make matters worse, this is the Kaka village and so drawing attention here is a really bad idea. I don't want to know what they are going to do if they catch up with me. That one time with meat buns was more than enough for me.

Doing my best to ignore the excited meowing behind me, I search for the building I need. There should be a man-made clinic here if my previous visits to this village are anything to go by. I don't think that woman is expecting any human patients here, but if needed, I can convince her. Then again, if she's even bothering to help people here, then I don't think she's going to refuse. She really i-

I lower my body closer to the ground to avoid getting tackled by a particularly rowdy Kaka kitten. Why are they so active during the day anyway? They should be sleeping or bathing in sunlight, but not...this!

"Over here!" - I hear someone cry out and instantly turn in their direction. It's a girl with dark hair and skin wearing a white short-sleeved cheongsam. I'm not sure if I remember her, but all that matters is that she's nice enough to leave the door open for me to escape from this madness.

As soon as I enter the building, she closes the door and locks it with practiced ease. Something hits the door once, probably by accident.

"Geez, how did that hap- Doc, we've got a patient here!" - the girl shouts as soon as she sees what exactly I'm holding. I can already hear someone approaching and here she is. Finally.

"You two, get her on the bed! Quickly!"

* * *

I don't know how much time has passed at this point, but for some reasons, I'm worried for the girl. Is it just because she looks so much like Saya? She even has the same hair color. This situation certainly brings bad memories to my mind even if her condition is nowhere near as bad as my sister's. Even after all these years, I still can't get the image of her rotting flesh out of my mind.

"So...How is she?" - I ask once the doctor enters the waiting room.

"We've managed to take care of her external bleeding and broken ribs, but there's something in her body that prevents full recovery from being possible at the moment. I've...I've never seen anything like it. Do you know how she received these injuries?" - the woman asks as she takes a seat next to me. She looks equally concerned and curious.

"Not really. I found her in the forest in this state." - I reply, trying not to look at her so I won't have to look up all the damn time. I don't think mentioning any of that "seithr" stuff is going to help.

"...I see. In that case, this will take much longer than I'd like to. I can't guarantee that she will live, but I will do my best. By the way, are you two...related? You look similar." - the doctor asks.

"We're n- She's my sister." - I reply hastily. If I said that we're not related, then it would raise unnecessary questions. Why would a stranger help some random girl they don't even know? And one who is a part of NOL at that? Many would just leave her to die just because she's a part of the organization they aren't fond of. I don't want this woman to think that I have ulterior motives or that I'm a naive little b-girl who doesn't know how the world around her works. I'm not about to get in trouble when I can avoid it.

"That reminds me...Can I have your names?" - she asks. Shit, I didn't think of t-

" _Call her Mu._ " - Nu suggests. Real creative here. Still, I can't think of a better name, so, Mu it is.

"I am Nu and she is Mu. Pleased t' meet ya." - I reply. Giving my real name isn't going to help me here.

"Alright, Nu. I am Litchi Faye Ling. I wish we would have met under different circumstances, but this will do. If you want to, you may come back in a day or two. Do you have anywhere to go? If you have the time, you can stay in this village. That way, I could easily contact you if needed." - Litchi suggests. It's a sound idea, but it might end up wasting my time if the girl ends up dying.

"Eh, it can wait. After all, family comes first and all that. Now if you'll excuse me..." - I say before standing up and walking to the front door.

"Hm...Am I forgetting someth- WATCH OUT!" - the woman warns me as I unlock the do-

Something tackles me to the floor before I can move out of the way. Just as I thought, it's another Kaka. This one has a light jacket, brown skin, long blonde hair tied into braids and a grey tail with a white tip.

"...Wait, you're not boobie lady...Hm..." - the...Is she really...fondling...

"Tao, please, get off that poor girl! I-I'm sorry for that, I've lost track of time and...Um..." - the woman stammers, clearly not pleased by whatever the hell just happened.

"I'll...Can we just pretend that this never happened?" - I suggest, trying to get away from that damn cat...Why is she staring at me like that?

"...Small." - Tao s-

" _Target confirmed. Booting all sub-systems. Activating combat mode. Switching to kill mode._ "

"WAIT WAIT WAIT DON'T DO IT!" - I plead the psycho in my head before she can summon her Nox and ruin everything. Somehow, I succeed. However, that only leaves the other two staring at me in confusion.

This is going to be a long day...


	7. Taking a walk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Eyes" is correct here as that incident didn't happen.

Thinking of an excuse on the fly is pretty damn hard, especially for something like this. I swear Nu is actually trying to get me in trouble.

"I...Um...I just...You're not going to grope me again, are you?" - I ask Tao. That's a good excuse.

" _Smooth._ " - Nu says and I almost try to retort before remembering that this is the very thing that got me in this situation...Wait, did she just...

"Bu-"

"She's not!" - Litchi interrupts that idiot before she can say anything. Thanks, Doc.

"Good...good..." - I mutter. It worked...huh.

"Are...Are you feeli-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine...Really..." - I say hastily. Judging by the concerned look Litchi gives me, she doesn't buy it.

"If you say so..." - the doctor mumbles as she leads her guest elsewhere.

Now, unless someone else decides to assault me, I'm leaving. The door is open, so, all I have to do is walk outside. It's still hasn't grown dark, but I can't let my guard down just yet. With Nu's hair, cape and everything attached to it, I'm an easy target here. What is the purpose of these things anyway? They looks like some sort of red talismans, but I really doubt she needs any help in warding off evil spirits or anything like that. There's something written on them, but I can't read any of it. If I remember correctly, there was something etched into her metal collar as well, but I wasn't paying much attention to it and now I can't see it without a mirror.

"It's flappy-flap!" - a very excited high-pitched voice shouts before a chorus of meows joins it.

" _Flappy...flap?_ "

Shit, they're back...Or at least the kittens are. In a matter of seconds, I'm surrounded by every single one of them. Judging by the resigned sigh coming from Nu, she's not pleased by this situation. At least she doesn't try to kill anyone this time.

"If you're looking for food, then I'm sorry, but I don't have any." - I tell the children surrounding me, but they still refuse to leave.

One of them seems to be trying to climb on top of my head using Nu's long hair as a rope. It's not as painful as it should be, but it's still annoying and I don't feel like fixing this mess once the little Kaka's done with it. With a sigh, I pull it out of the little thing's grasp

"Where did you come from?"

"Who was the blue girl? Is she okay?"

"Are you hiding food?"

"Woah, woah, slow down! I can't answer everything if you keep asking me!" - I sa-

I catch a particularly feisty Kaka kitten before she can hit my face and put her down on the ground. She's looking at something above my face, so, she was probably aiming for that single lock of hair sticking out of my head.

"...Flappy-flap smells like...Meat bun guy?" - one of the kitten says after sniffing the air. That instantly draws everyone's attention. I'm not gonna deal with that shit again.

" _I know that you're not going to let me kill them, but can we at least get out of here?_ " - Nu asks and for once, I can agree with her.

"Look, there's a fat meaty bird over there!" - I suddenly shout while pointing in a random direction. That manages to distract them long enough for me to stand up and leave at a leisurely pace. I feel bad for lying to children, but even I have my limits.

...I think I'll just take a walk or something. Going too far away from that wounded girl isn't a good idea, but I don't know where to stay here either. This isn't a very big village thanks to its small population. Somehow, it never goes beyond a hundred or so Kakas. I don't think I've ever seen a male one although I've heard that those do exist.

I guess asking Nu a question won't hurt. I'm not getting my hopes up considering how most of my questions receive no real answer, but it's worth a shot. Her...attitude is a good starting point.

"Hey, Nu? Why the hell do you keep trying to kill almost everyone we come across?" - I ask. Will she finally answer my question?

"... _I hate..._ "

"H-Huh?"

" _I hate...Everything...Everything...except for you, Ragna...Hahahaha...You are the only thing that matters to Nu. You and only you, Ragna! That's why we're together now! Not in a way Nu wanted, but we can fix that later, right?_ " - Nu replies, her voice going from resentful to cheerful in mere seconds.

Well, I've got my answer, but it doesn't really help me anyhow. I already know that she's got problems...Wait, is that...Jubei?

"Hey, old m..."

Right, I almost forgot. Did he hea- Yes, he did. He's getting closer. Crap, how the hell did I f-

"'Scuse me, kid, but I don't recall seein' ya 'round here be...Mind tellin' me how you got this jacket 'n sword? I reckon these don't belong to you" - he asks and, from years of experience, I can tell that he's about to kick my ass. I really should have left these with my body back at the castle.

" _Target in possession of Nox Nyctores Mucro Somnio: Musashi. Increasing target's threat level..._ "

"Um, well..."- I trail off, thinking of an excuse. Telling the truth might not work and saying something stupid like "I've bought these" or "I'm a big fan of Ragna and these are replicas" is out of the question...This isn't good...

"Well?" - he repeats with narrowed eyes.

"...I-I found these in the forest. Do you happen to know their owner? I'd like to give them back." - I ask in response, hoping that he doesn't ask any other unnecessary questions.

Thank God he nods and extends his paws, waiting for me to give him my things. I hesitate for a second before remembering all the beatings he gave me during our training. I'm gonna miss them, but I'd rather not get in trouble.

...Why is he looking at me like that?

"...C'mon kid, relax. You're in no danger here." - he says, now with a relaxed posture.

"Alright, sorry, but I've gotta go!" - I say hastily as I try to retreat before he puts his paw on my shoulder.

"I ain't done talkin'. You said you were in the forest, didn't ya? Well, let me give you a piece of advice: if you know what's good for ya, stay away from that place. Things ain't looking good there. People go missin', spirits are growin' restless and there's somethin'...wrong in the air. Go a step too far and yer as good as dead." - the beastman warns.

"...Is this why Kakas are so active during the day?" - I ask out of curiosity.

"Right you are, kid. Humans can't feel it, but these folk do and they don't like it. Ah hell, even I get the shivers. Now, I got some other stuff needs doin', so, take care." - Jubei says before walking away.

Well, isn't this just great? Now I've got nothing to defend myself with. I don't know how strong this body is, but it certainly isn't gonna be a good replacement for my sword. Even if it's not a Nox or anything, it's still pretty damn useful and a gift from the old man too. I don't know how he got it in the first place, but it certainly isn't just any ordinary sword.

" _What's wrong? Why are you so sad?_ " - Nu asks. It almost sounds like she's worried about me.

"I've just lost my favourite sword, why wouldn't I be upset?" - I reply. What follows is a good minute or two of continuous humming.

" _Oh! I know! I can make you a new one! Like a gift!_ " - the girls offers.

"Your swords aren't up to snuff. I don't want it to break while I'm in the middle of a fight." - I say, recalling how her fight with Rachel went.

"If it breaks, Nu can make another one!" - Nu retorts with a slightly annoyed tone.

"...Look, it's not the same, alright?"

" _But Ragnaaaaa..._ "

...I should just go back to Litchi's clinic. I'd rather not bump into someone else here even if is unlikely. That woman isn't going to let me stay there just because I want to, so, I have to come up with some bullshit to persuade her. Hopefully, Tao is already gone...

* * *

"You...can't be without her?"

"No..."

"But you said tha-"

"Please...? I-I have to watch over my sister! I just...can't be without Mu!"

If anyone saw this, I would never hear the end of it. Ragna the Bloodedge, begging someone to let them stay with his best impression of his sister's puppy eyes? God forbid Rachel finds out about...this. That would be a freaking nightmare.

"...I mean...I can't...Alright, I guess you can stay here...It will cost you a little extra though." - Litchi says. I don't like the look she's giving me. I feel like I'm going to regret this later.

" _Good job, Ragna!_ "

I really can't wait to get back into my body and be done with...all of this shit.


	8. Repose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd person POV again...well, sort of?

A pair of green eyes flutters open. Their owner, Noel Vermillion, is not familiar with the room she finds herself in. It looks nice, but the fact that she is here is puzzling. She should be dead, but it can't be heaven...or hell for that matter. And if she is dead, then she shouldn't be feeling pain. As it is, everything hurts a little, but not enough to prevent her from sitting up.

As soon as her gaze leaves the ceiling, something unusual draws her attention.

There's a girl with long braided white hair and unhealthy skin color sleeping on a chair in front of the bed Noel is lying on. Her outfit is rather unique, consisting of an eyepatch, a blade at the tip of her braid, a white cape with blue outlines, large collar and metal rings with red talismans attached to them, light blue detached sleeves, a light blue skin-tight suit of some sort that leaves everything past her thighs exposed and metal plates on her cape's collar, her thighs and...Indecent outfit aside, what truly draws the blonde's attention is the similarities between her and this stranger. It feels rather odd to the wounded girl.

Perhaps asking her some questions would be a good idea, but that would require waking her up first and...well, many have said in the past that Noel looks rather adorable when she's asleep and the same applies to her white-haired lookalike. Then again, she is curious about how she ended up here and sleeping on a chair is uncomfortable.

"E...Excuse me..." - the blonde says just loud enough to wake up the stranger in front of her.

"Hmm? Saya? Is Jin bothering you again?..." - the white-haired girl mumbles as she rubs her red left eye, still half asleep. Her voice sounds almost exactly like Noel's, but there's something weird about it.

"S-Saya? Jin?" - Noel repeats.

"...Of course she has her voice too...So, you're already awake, huh? Heh, you're tougher than you look." - the stranger says as she finally wakes up.

"Who...Who are you? How did I get here and how much time has passed?" - the Lieutenant asks.

All things considered, there shouldn't have been enough time to carry her out of the forest before she died from blood loss. Even if that wasn't a problem, whatever that monster released should have killed her and yet she can't even feel it now. Was it not meant to be lethal? Did this girl help her somehow? Or was there something that drained all of it before it could kill her? The blonde doesn't know what is more likely, but there is one thing she is sure of.

"Well, I guess telling you won't hurt. I'm R- Nu and you're here because I carried your sorry ass all the way from the forest I found you in to this clinic while you were bleeding out like a stuck pig. You've been here only for a day, so, if you've got placed to be, then don't worry. Anything else?" - the white-haired girl replies with a somewhat annoyed tone as she crosses her arms over her chest. Whatever similarities are there between her and Noel, they certainly don't extend beyond their voices and appearance.

"...Thank you..."

"H-Huh?"

"I-I really mean it! If not for you, I would be..." - Noel says, catching her saviour off-guard. Fortunately, Bolverk is still active and so, instead of turning into a crying mess, she merely lets a few tears roll down her cheeks.

It was relieving, to say the least. She has accepted her death back in the forest, but now that it turned out that it wasn't necessary, she no longer has to worry about any of it...But isn't she forgetting something?

"U-I-Ah, it was nothing. Really, there's no need to thank me. I did it only becaus-"

"MAJOR KISARAGI! I have to report it to-"

"Hey, calm down, you idiot! Damn it, I didn't bring you here only to have you injure yourself again!" - Nu interrupts Noel as she forces the patient to lie down before the she can get up.

"S-Sorry, but I can't stay here for long or else..." - the blonde's voice trails off.

"Look, if you're that eager to go back to work, then be my guest, but you have to wait for now. Besides, there's something I need from y-"

Unfortunately, she doesn't get to finish her explanation before someone walks into the room. The white-haired girl curses under her breath, but the Lieutenant doesn't notice it.

The newcomer is a tall bespectacled woman with magenta eyes and black hair tied into a bun with what looks like a miniature panda. Her outfit is much simpler, consisting of a white shirt with long sleeves, black corset and a red dress with cuts that expose her hips.

"I wouldn't advise disturbing the pati- Oh? You're already awake? W-Well, this is unexpected...Honestly, I wasn't even sure if you were going to live. This is certainly relieving. I take it your sister has already explained everything?" - the woman asks. She isn't someone Noel knows, but she seems to be a nice person.

"Si-Sister?" - the blonde repeats.

"Y-Yeah, I've got everything covered! It's all just peachy now! Yeah...Isn't that right, Mu?" - Nu asks as she gets uncomfortably close to her lookalike. The strained smile on her face makes it obvious that she's not happy about this. She actually looks rather miserable.

"B-But..."

"Please, play along...play along..." - the poor thing says through clenched teeth, making sure to keep her voice down so the woman doesn't hear anything. Noel is not sure what to expect from her at the moment and so she simply nods.

"That's good to know, but next time, please, let her rest. I know that you're...attached to her, but even if that...poison is somehow gone, she still needs time to recover...Speaking of that, could you leave us alone for a moment? I promise that it won't take me long." - the woman asks the obviously younger girl.

"...Alright, alright, I'll leave. Just tell me when you're done, Doc." - Nu says before walking away. Her gaze lingers on Noel for a few seconds before she finally walks out of sight.

"Now then, can you tell me what happened to you? This is important."

* * *

Meanwhile, miles away from the lone clinic in Kaka tribe's village, a young man is looking through paperwork he received in his own office. He's not really paying attention to anything written there as his mind is occupied with something completely unrelated.

As much as he dislikes dealing with them, he simply cannot ignore all the missing personnel. Losing a man or two was never a problem, but they've lost Colonel Relius Clover and the so-called Detonator, Ignis Clover. That man insisted on exploring the forest near a village of beastmen. Apparently, a Nox Nyctores was there. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but they already knew the location of every single one of them and there was no such thing in that area. It was either something that could be mistaken for one of those weapons or a masterfully constructed counterfeit meant to lure them in. Whatever it was, it had to be retrieved and examined.

Once the Colonel had been declared missing, Lieutenant Noel Vermillion was dispatched to investigate this case, but the Major has little faith in her. He wouldn't be surprised if she got lost or went missing as well.

That loathsome girl has been an eyesore ever since he first met her. He would have gladly cut her to pieces if he was given the chance to do it, but there is no good reason to do so. The girl didn't actually do anything to deserve such treatment. It's not her fault. But simply bearing HER face and HER voice is more than enough for Jin Kisaragi. She is a reminder of the days long past and one he doesn't want to have. He'd rather forget about it all.

Still, if she doesn't come back, he'd be more concerned than relieved as it would mean that there's something there that can become a threat to the order that Novus Orbis Librarium has been trying to keep all these years. That turn of events was unfavourable.

Carelessly throwing the papers away, Jin Kisaragi stands up from his chair and leaves the office. There is something that he needs to look into first. The Kakas have never been reliable when it comes to reporting anything, but if there is one thing they can remember well, it's food and those who offer it.


	9. Early departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I know what Point A and Point B (along with certain events between them) should be, I'm still not sure how much I want to deviate from how things are in BlazBlue. Maybe I should worry less about it and just do it, keeping things simple so you don't have go through the whole story mode to find a scene where it's mentioned or go through side material and find the right paragraph just so you can truly understand what this or that is.
> 
> Plus there was that Arakune's gag reel, so...yeah? No Prince of Darkness Hazama or Princess Ragna, but this works too...?

 

At long last, Litchi leaves the patient room and closes the door behind her. To be fair, it didn't take THAT much time just as she promised, but I have shit to do aside from sitting on my ass and waiting for others to do their own things.

"So...What's up, Doc? Anything I need to know?" - I ask the woman.

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to share the details...But she will recover soon." - the doctor replies.

"How soon?" - I ask, trying not to sound irritated.

"Two to three weeks if she is given enough rest." - she replies. There's no way in hell I'm gonna wait that long.

"Two to th- Is there any way you could let her go earlier? Like RIGHT. NOW? We've got something important to do and we can't delay it any longer." - I ask...and I sound like an annoying little shit who wants things to go her way.

"And what is it that's so important that you want me to hand over your sister in such state? It's my duty to ensur-"

"Can she walk?" - I interrupt the increasingly agitated woman with an equally annoyed tone.

"Yes, but she nee-"

"Look, I really don't have time for this shit. She's going with me even if I'll have to carry her on my back...Urgh, this is getting nowhere quickly. Can you just take my money and get the hell outta my way?" - I offer generously. Finding a person who's driven by something more than just their own desires is good and all, but then this happens and things get needlessly complicated.

" _Um, Ragna? Where do you keep your money?_ " - Nu a...Shit, I left it all in the...Goddamnit, old man!

"...I see. So that's how it is...You're not actually her sister, are you?" - Litchi asks, but it seems more rhetorical than anything. When did she realize this? Something tells me she never believed me and didn't say anything only because of that girl.

"I'll say it one more time: if you get in my way, I'll beat the crap out of you. Trust me, I don't want to do this, but I don't have much of a choice here." - I warn one last time. Getting into a fight with someone like her isn't going to help me in the long run, but I don't have the time or patience.

"Neither do I." - Litchi says once she assumes a stance I'm not familiar with.

" _She dares to stand in Ragna and Nu's way? Make her suffer, Ragna._ " - Nu says, somehow remaining calm despite her obvious thirst for blood.

So she can dish out the pain as well, huh? Well, it's her choice. I'd like to have my sword for this fight, but this is fine too. This way, I don't have to worry about dismembering her by accident.

"WAIT!" - that blonde shouts as she gets between us. She's already wearing her uniform although she clearly was in a hurry as her hair is in a mess. How did I miss her?

"W-What are you doing here?" - Litchi asks, clearly just as surprised by the girl's sudden appearance as I am.

" _Target is distracted. Kill her before she regains composure."_

"No, I'm not gonna do that. Let's just see what happens." - I whisper as quietly as possible. I don't know what she's trying to pull here, but anything is better than having to fight what might be the only person who gives a damn about Kakas' health.

"I can't let you two fight!" - the girl exclaims. I really need to get her real name after I'm done with this mess.

"This is for your own safety! I don't know who she is, but she doesn't have the best int-"

"She's already told you that she's my sister!" - the girl inte- wait, what? The hell's this shit?!

" _...Unexpected outcome. What is the meaning of this?_ " - Nu wonders. This is exactly what I'm thinking right now.

"Sh-She is?! But...But this...Even so, I cannot allow you to leave until you're fully healed." - the doctor says. She's really stubborn, isn't she? Well, at least she's no longer willing to fight and I ain't complaining about that.

"We...We must leave now. If we don't, then...then people will be in danger, so...please, let me go!" - the blonde pleads with a shaky voice. She's actually playing along...but why?...I'll leave questions for later.

"M-Mu is right, we can't j-"

"But first, I want you to apologize." - "Mu" declares, completely serious about this whole thing.

"H-Huh? The hell did y-"

"Apologize right now!" - the girl demands. I guess I've got nothing to lose here, but...Really?

"I...I'm sorry." - I apologize half-heartedly. Why should I feel sorry for any of this?

"S-Say it like you mean it..."

"Alright, alright...Litchi...Look, I'm sorry for being such an asshole. There was no need to treat you like that after everything you've done for us. I could have simply explained everything, but I'm too much of a blockhead to talk things out. Will you forgive me?" - I try again. When I look at the blonde, she smiles at me like it's her birthday...This smile...

"...I suppose there's no reason for me to stay mad at you. That settles it, then. I'll let you go, but only as long as you promise not to push yourself. You don't have to pay me anything right now...but..." - the woman's voice trails off as she looks at me...I have a very bad feeling about this...

" _Target threat level...unknown?_ "

"B-But?" - I repeat, dreading whatever comes next.

"But once you're done with...whatever it is, I want you to come visit me for a bit. You see, one of my patients really loves bringing me clothes to put on, but some of them just don't fit me. You, on the other hand...They'll fit you perfectly." - Litchi continues, far too pleased with this idea...Well, it's not like I'll have to do it anyway. If I get what I want, then Nu won't come back here.

"...Urgh...Can we just...go now?" - I ask my "sister". She looks unsure for a second before she shakes her head.

"Y-Yes. I promise that I won't do anything you've told me not to do. Thank you for helping us, Miss...Litchi? We'll come back soon! " - "Mu" says as I drag her outside. I wonder how long she wants to keep this act going.

"Good luck, you two..." - Litchi says before we finally leave the clinic and close the front door behind us.

"...Now then, mind telling me what the freaking hell was that all about?" - I ask the girl as soon as I let go of her arm.

"I-I had to leave so I could report everything to Major Kisaragi before it's too late!" - she replies, but that doesn' tell me anything.

"Report WHAT exactly? I have no clue what you're talking about, so, spill it out." - I demand, sounding a bit too whiny to my liking.

"Th-That's confidential!" - the annoying girl replies before turning to leave. Unwilling to let this matter drop, I grab her arm.

"...Still, you could have used that excuse without having to play along with my bullshit. I sense something fishy here and trust me, you don't want to leave me in the dark. I really hate that." - I say, admittedly more tired than angry at this point. My grip on her arm isn't even that tight.

"I...I just wanted to help you for saving my life and I didn't want you two to fight, so, I thought tha- Wait, what were you doing in the forest?" - the blonde suddenly asks.

"Huh? Well, I..." - my voice trails off as I can't really tell her anything. Hell, I don't even know her name.

"Were you...Are you the one responsible for all of this?" - she conti- Whoa, where the hell did these come from?

" _Target in possession of Nox Nyctores Arcus Diabolus: Bolverk. Increasing target threat level to...D._ "

"That's one hell of an assumption!" - I shout indignantly, completely baffled by this leap of logic...Then again, this whole thing does sound suspicious when I think about it.

"I am Lieutenant Noel Vermillion, NOL Praetorian Guard, Fourth Division! You are under arrest!" - Noel shouts, completely ignoring me.

Shit, I really didn't expect any of this...But she still hasn't recovered, so, maybe I can pull this off. I just have to make sure not to go overboard with this and break anything.

"Alright, bring it on, you idiot!"


	10. Resistance isn't futile

 

 

She's gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with, that's for sure. She's still weak, but that's the problem here. Even if I was back in my body, I'd still have trouble holding back here. To make sure that I have enough space to work with, I move around until I'm facing the alley instead of the clinic. Noel hasn't attacked yet, but I can already see some of the villagers watching us. For some reasons, Litchi still hasn't appeared.

" _We need this one alive, right?_ " – Nu asks with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah, we d- Shit!"

As soon as I see the girl pull the trigger, I jump towards her and almost immediately, an explosion occurs where I stood mere moments ago. I've heard of long ranged weapons being developed and I've seen a few in action, but they are still early in development and can't do anything like this. I doubt she has to reload.

With my opponent so close to me, I prepare for an overhea-

"Back off!"

"Motherf-"

Even in her current state, her reaction is still good enough to shoot me in the face before I can knock her out. Somehow, that didn't even blow my eyepatch off as I can still feel it on my face. I guess she doesn't want me dead, huh? Well, that changes everything.

"Resist..and I WILL use force!" – Noel warns me, but I couldn't care less. I've got nothing to worry about here aside from accidentally killing the Lieutenant.

I manage to recover before I land, but now she is much farther away from me. So that's what she wanted. She's either at her best with long ranged combat or she's too weak to deal with me at close range. Let's fix this.

I run towards that idiot as fast as I can. I can see space warp in front of me, but knowing that they are not meant to kill, I keep running even as the air detonates. These explosions hurt, but I can take it. Once I get close enough, she tries to jump over me.

"Moron!"

I interrupt whatever she was trying to do with a rising uppercut and, once we're both high enough in the air, I rotate my whole body to slam Noel with the heel of my foot, sending her crashing to the ground. I usually start this with a sword, but this is all I can work with right now...Shit, I forgot about...Whatever, she's still moving.

She rolls out of the way before I can follow up with anything and tries to stand up. She's pretty much forcing herself to stand at this point. So much for following Litchi's advice...

"Look, you don't have to keep fighting. Just do me a favor a-"

That…! Here I am, trying to talk it out and she just shoots me in the abdomen! Now that hurts like hell…So Bolverk can change its form. What was a pair of weapons is now a singl-

"Don't resis-"

Fed up with her bullshit, I grab Noel's face and slam her into the ground. Looks like she didn't expect me to recover so quickly. I've got to end this right now.

"Why the hell…"

I grab her by her hair and lift her back onto her feet. I can see blood on that pretty face of hers and, judging by Nu's ecstatic giggling, she's pleased by the sight of it.

"Are you so STUPID?!"

I punch the girl in her gut, making sure to hold back so I don't end up punching a hole through her. The force of it is still enough to send her flying through the alley and so I follow her. This time, she fails to stand up in time. Unwilling to take any chances, I tear her weapons out of her grasp as soon as I reach her and throw them away, completely out of that damn brat's reach.

" _Causality weapon threat level has declined. Beginning auto-repair._ " – Nu says and I don't understand much of it. What the hell is auto-repair supposed to mean?

"G-Give it back!" – Noel demands, reaching out to her Bolverk as if it isn't several feet away from her.

"Like hell I will!" – I yell at the girl.

"They're really important to me! So please…give them back!" – she pleads. I can hear Nu giggle at such request and it's pissing me off even more.

"Why would I do that, you idiot?" – I say in response. It is a Nox, but I don't think that's why she wants it back.

"Why…Why do you have to be so…" – the girl's voice trails off as she…starts…crying…

…And now I feel like shit. I'm not the only one to blame here as she didn't stop when I told her to, but I did just beat up a wounded girl who was doing her job…or…Maybe…Maybe it's just because she's…Damn it, why does everything have to be so difficult?!

…Alright, I'm gonna try something.

I sit down next to Noel and wrap my arms around her body, carefully lifting her off the dirty ground. She tries to push me away, but she's too weak to do it and so she gives up. I don't think I've tried to comfort anyone like this in years. It's…awkward and she's staining my already torn clothes, but I…Well, that's the least I can do right now.

"…I'm sorry…I'm just…I'm just too much of a blockhead…You didn't deserve any of this…" – I manage to mutter with some effort. This is the second time I'm apologizing to anyone today.

…Nu seems to be oddly silent. I expected her to get mad again, but she doesn't say anything. She's not even giggling at the poor girl's expense. Considering how much she hates seeing me get close to, well, anyone, it has to be something unusual. I don't mind it much, but I am curious.

Eventually, Sa-Noel stops crying and I let her go. This might be a stupid idea, but I stand up to retrieve the weapons I've thrown away and promptly give them back to their owner. That seems to confuse the blonde, but I can tell that she's relieved…Actually, she seems to calm down almost instantly as soon as she touches Bolverk.

"So, are you going to listen to me now?" – I ask, completely exhausted at this point.

"…Y-Yes." – the girl replies. She really needs these guns, doesn't she?

"Great. Alright, I've told you that there was something I wanted from you, didn't I? Well, actually, I need something from your superiors. I know that you folk like to get your hands on all kinds of fancy shit like the Nox Nyctores, so, it's a safe bet that you have the Azure Grimoire or at least know where it's at. Of course, I don't know where you keep any of that shit and that's why I need you. I could just kick the door down and beat the crap out of everyone there until I find out where I'm supposed to look, but that wouldn't get me anywhere in the long run. Now, any questions?" – I ask once I explain everything…Well, everything she needs to know.

"Why do you need this…um…Azure Grimoire? If it's something dangerous…" – she asks…Shit, I'm not prepared for this…and Nu is still silent…Goddamnit, why doesn't she say anything when I need her help?

"U-Um…Well, you see…I need it to…help someone. I've been told that it's the only thing that can help, but nobody bothered to tell me what it is or where to find it. That's all I can tell you." – I reply. I'm not lying, but this doesn't sound very convincing.

For what feels like hours, the girl thinks hard about whether to help me or not. It's really hard not to yell at her, but if I want her to help me, then I shouldn't do that. Nothing really stops me from forcing her to help me, but I ain't that much of an asshole.

"…I…I think I can help you, but…but wouldn't this be…treason?" – Noel finally gives her answer and a very good question along with it. I doubt she's going to go with this plan if she ends up getting screwed over by it.

"Give me a sec, alright?...That's it! Weren't you tryin' to arrest me or something? What if you led me there using that as an excuse? Sounds pretty good to me." – I reply with the best idea I can think of at the moment.

"E-Eh? But...But I'll have to restrain you first. Are you sure you can do this?" – the Lieutenant asks. She did see me jump around like a flea, but I've been holding back whenever I tried to hit her…even if I did go overboard with it anyway. I don't know what Nu is, but she certainly should be able to break out of any normal restraints.

"Yes. Absolutely. It may be hard to believe, but I'm not as frail as I look. Well, enough chatter. Let's get to wor-"

An odd noise interrupts me. I look around to locate its source…Why does Noel look so…Oh. She's been out for a while, so, she's probably hungry now. I'm kinda hungry too, so, I can understand her.

"S…Sorry…"

"…I guess we could stop for a quick bite. I'm not gonna pay for it though. I wish I could after all this shit, but…Well, let's just say that I've got a cat to blame for it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Lieutenant Noel Vermillion joins the party. Someone's got to heal her real soon though. Can't have any of the party members be low on HP unless that somehow makes them better.


	11. Shenyu Hu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the background and minor characters are based on people seen in the background of various stages along with art in the gallery in some cases (like the golden skeleton...well, that wasn't really a character, but its design didn't come out of nowhere).
> 
> Also, there's something I should use much less than I do now when writing. I'm not going to say what it is as pointing it out might make it even more obvious for some people. I just can't seem to avoid it and most of the substitutes I can think of usually don't fit in the sentences here. It's bothering me now.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Y-Yes."

That idiot...She's in no condition to walk around and yet she still does. I mean it's better than having her whine all the way to the town, but I can't stand it anyway.

...Then again, how am I supposed to carry her while wearing the blue coat she lent me? It's hard to move around in, but she insisted on me wearing it. I don't really care about walking around with torn clothes, especially when they are eventually going to be fixed on their own according to Nu, but she was against that idea. Still, there's a very good reason why this damn thing is so easy to take off.

...Anyway, it didn't take us much time to reach Orient Town as it's not very far away from the Kaka village. I've been here before and it still has that thick lived-in feel to it. It's certainly not a bad place to live in if you know where to go and which places you should avoid, but we're not here for that.

"I've heard good things about this place, but..." - Noel's voice trails off as she looks at the colorful buildings around her.

"Yeah, it's a bit too bright for my eyes...eye and too complex for its own good on top of that. But aside from that, it's fine." - I say in response. It does look worse than the last time I was here though. Usually it's more crowded than this too.

"Th-That's not..."

"... _Nah, this place sucks, especially because of everyone living here._ " - Nu blurts out as if I needed her opinion.

"Shut up, will ya?" - I say in r...Shit.

"W-W-What?!"

"I-I-I wasn't talking to you!" - I say in a lousy attempt to calm Noel down.

"But then who were you talking to?" - she asks and that's a damn good question.

"Um...Well, you see, I- Oh, look!" - I almost shout as I point at a relatively large building in the distance.

" _Wow. Way to change the subject. You're really good with women, Ragna!_ " - Nu says and I'm not even sure if I should be offended or not. It's not like I can really tell her anything in response...yet.

I...wouldn't say that I have nothing but fond memories of this place as "dine and dashing" is among the list of crimes I've committed in the past and that freaking woman has one hell of a throwing arm. I guess this is one of those times when not being myself is a good thing?

In any case, we enter the restaurant. It hasn't changed much since the last time I've been here. Even the paint on those "golden" dragons and the lanterns hanging from the ceiling are same. The looks Noel and I have been getting ever since we had entered this place are getting on my nerves, but I know from my past experiences that making any kind of ruckus around here is a bad idea and hopefully so does everyone else.

"Um...There's a vacant table over there..."

We make our way to the table in the question and take a seat, something I'm grateful for as we've been walking for a while now. I still haven't felt any real fatigue in this body, but this is a pleasant change of pace. I don't have to look at the menu to know what they serve here, but Noel seems to be absorbed in it. I barely manage to resist the urge to drum my fingers on the table as I wait for her to choose something.

"So, got anything specific on mind or are we on a budget here?" - I ask the girl in front of me. All things considered, she should be able to afford more than just rice and tea.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry, but, um, can you suggest something? I can't decide." - the Lieutenant asks in response.

" _How about a big, extra thick sword up you-_ "

"Lemme see...If you've got money to spare, Kagutsuchi puffer fish is pretty good. If you don't like spicy food, there's always the Peking duck. But if you want to have a full stomach without wasting too much money, you can just order noodles or something." - I reply, ignoring Nu's oh-so-helpful suggestion. I'd rather just cook something myself, but after...whatever the hell happened with Rachel...Yeah, not going through that shit again.

"I...guess I'll just have the same thing as you?" - the blonde says.

In a few seconds, a young woman approaches us with a smile on her face. I remember her. There's no way in hell I'm gonna forget her.

"May I take your order?" - the waitress asks us. Having her approach me without her throwing anything at me is refreshing.

"Eh, tentama udon for both of us should be fine. No drinks." - I reply.

Once the woman leaves, I look around the building in search of, well, anything interesting. I've got quite some time to kill. So far, nothing really catches my eye.

"Have you heard the rumors?"

Now this might be interesting. I turn to the source of the voice to find a girl with long brown hair, red dress and white skirt sitting at a table. She's talking to a well-built man with a bushy brown moustache, long braided hair of the same color on an otherwise bald head, grey baggy pants and a grey vest.

"...What is it this time?" - the man asks with a sigh.

"Well, rumor has it that the Imperator is ill and slowly going cray cray." - the brunette says as she twirls her finger near her ear.

"If these rumors are true, then it would explain why he hasn't appeared in public for so long." - the man says in response.

"He? Isn't that, like, a girl or something? Anyway, people say that this disease's been eating her up for a while now and nobody knows what to do about it. She doesn't let anyone help her either." - the girl continues while stuffing food into her mouth.

"Still, as concerning as it may be, I don't think we should trust such rumors unless the Imperator himself confirms it." - the man says. Is he here just to watch his companion eat or something?

"Yeah, but I don't wanna risk it. We should just get the hell outta here before shit gets real and...Um...Can you tell that girl to stop staring at us? She's kinda creeping me out." - th- Shit, I should have been more subtle about this. Maybe not staring at them would have been a nice start.

"I'd rather not deal with people associated with the Library. Just ignore her."

Well, that was certainly...interesting, but now what? The waitress still hasn't returned and there's nothing here to look at or listen to anymore, so, I'll just look out the first window I see. Just crowds of people...parting to make way for a steaming mountain of muscles and heavy armor. His size and red skin alone make it easy to identify him.

...What the hell is the Red Devil doing here of all places? He really shouldn't be just casually strolling down the street as if he's just taking a walk or something. Considering who he is and who are the people he's working for, it can't be anything good...Why did he stop?...Shit, he turns to look in my direction...or is he looking at me? Does he know Nu? I doubt that's the case. However, there's no other reason for him to just stare at some random girl in a restaurant like this...

After minutes of silence, the giant of a man pulls out some bulky metal...thing out of his armor and...starts talking to it? His gaze doesn't leave me, but it doesn't look like he's trying to talk to me. Judging by the pauses he makes, he receives some sort of a response, but...

"Is something wrong, Nu?...Nu?" - Noel asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing you should worry about." - I reply. Telling someone from NOL that a man like the Red Devil is nearby is probably not a good idea.

Finally, the waitress comes back with our dishes. The Lieutenant immediately gets to work, scarfing her food down like there's no tomorrow. I didn't know she was that hungry. Well, it's time for me to dig in too and so I take my pair of chopsticks.

...but it feels all...wrong. I try to eat with them, but it's as if I never held them before. Is this the lack of muscle memory in effect? Or is it just the differences in our hands alone that's screwing me over? Whatever is the cause, it's pissing me off. I fumble around with these damn things for years and after what feels like hours of making a fool of myself, I give up and let my head hit the table, face first.

"Why the hell do I have to put up with all this shit..." - I mumble to no one in particular.

"It's okay, Nu...Don't feel so bad about this." - Noel says as she...Is she actually patting my head?!

I lift my head off the table just to glare at that blonde idiot. Despite having only one eye to work with, it works well enough and she almost immediately goes back to eating.

"... _Are you REALLY sure that we need her? Like, can't we just kill her and find someone else to help us find the Azure?_ "

Unwilling to get in deep shit for screaming, I let out a somewhat muffled groan instead.


	12. Premonition

Once Noel pays the bill, - something that still doesn't feel right to me - we leave the building. Thankfully, the Red Devil is nowhere in sight. His presence in Orient Town still bothers me though. The blonde looks worried too, but I doubt it has anything to do with that hulking mass of muscles.

"Got somethin' on your mind?" - I ask Noel as I hand over her coat. Now that Nu's clothes have been repaired...somehow, I have no need for it.

"It's nothing..." - she mumbles in response.

"Yeah, I call bullshit." - I say bluntly, something that seems to startle the girl.

"I-It's really...It's just that...I have an odd premonition of...I don't even know." - the blonde explains.

" _I...I can feel something too. Be careful, Ragna._ " - Nu warns. If she is worried, then it has to be something serious.

"...You know, there's something that's been bothering me for a while now. You folk are supposed to carry at least two healing potions with you, right? They should be enough for you, so, why not use them?" - I ask. She's not missing any limbs and she doesn't have any injuries that would require something more advanced.

"Oh, I wanted to, but the potions I had were...well..." - Noel's voice trails off as she takes a small bottle out of her coat. There is nothing special about the bottle itself, but its contents are certainly unusual.

" _Quasi-solid seithr...Yeah, you should totally drink that stuff, Noel._ " - Nu says. She seems to know what this stuff is. I'll have to ask her about it later.

"Jeez, this looks nasty. And what about the other one?" - I ask, my eye still fixed on the red and black substance inside the bottle.

"It's tainted too. Miss Litchi asked me to give it to her for analysis. She told me that she and her friends can help me with...um, I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you." - the Lieutenant replies. She sure does trust the woman whom she knew for less than an hour.

"Well, you do you. Now then, I think we're supposed to go...this way? Or was it...Damn it, this is exactly why I don't visit this town often!" - I shout, briefly drawing passers-by's attention before they move on.

"Maybe we should asks someone for directions?" - Noel suggests.

" _Or we could just fly and stop wasting time._ " - Nu suggests...Wait, she can do that? Well, that sounds like a better option. Then again, it would draw even more attention to us and I don't know how to do it.

"Good idea, but you should let me handle this. I doubt anyone here wants to deal with anyone associated with NOL." - I say and the Lieutenant almost immediately gets to work.

"Um, excuse me, but...Excuse me...Sir, could you..."

This keeps going for a few minutes, but nobody bothers to stop and help her. With every passing person, her confidence wavers until she gives up. Did she honestly expect to get anything out of them? People here are usually friendly, but even they can't stand the Library scum. Noel seems to be much nicer that the majority of Library folk I've seen, but they don't know that. If I didn't know her, I'd have the same opinion of her too.

Well, looks like it's my turn.

"N-Nu! W-What are you doing?!" - Noel cries out as I grab the first man I can reach by his collar.

"What does it look like? I'm just doing things my way. Hey, you, do you know how can we get to the port as quickly as possible?" - I ask the man I'm holding. He's much taller than I am, something I'm certainly not pleased with.

"What the hell do you think y-"

"Answer my question or else you're gonna get hurt." - I threaten, stopping the man's protests by lifting him off the ground. Now we've got everyone's attention.

"A-Alright, alright, just let me go!" - the man says before I comply and drop him.

"W-I-I'm sorry, but we really need to get there as soon as possible, so, um, could you give us the directions?" - Noel asks, glaring at me as if I have done something bad.

"Just go that way and don't take any left turns. You'll get there in two days at most." - the man replies as he points to a rather shady-looking alley.

"Thank you and, uh, sorry about...that." - the blonde says, dragging me towards the alley. I don't try to resist even if it gets on my nerves.

"Tch...You're soft. Too soft for someone of your rank. You're not gonna get far with this attitude. Keep it up and the world is going to devour you." - I mutter. Even if she heard me, she doesn't reply.

I probably shouldn't pull this kind of shit in the presence of someone like Noel, but I don't feel like wasting time asking people nicely...No, I should just calm down and try to behave. She's not going to help me if I keep up this attitude and I don't want to force her to help me either.

Anyway, this alley seems neglected. There's no colorful paint to hurt my eye, something I'm grateful for, and the building in this area are in dire need of repairs. This doesn't feel like a good place to be in. I doubt that man lied to us as he had no reason to do so.

"Lieutenant Vermillion."

We both turn toward the source of the v...Jin...That bastard...I don't know what he's doing here, but it doesn't matter. I know that he's a part of NOL, but I'm pretty sure he's not supposed to be in Kagutsuchi. Noel seems to recognize him too.

"M-Major Kisaragi! W-What are you doing here? Shouldn't you b-"

"That is a question I should be asking you, Lieutenant. What are YOU doing here? Are you so dense you couldn't even follow my orders?" - Jin almost spits out with more venom in his voice than in a snake. Now I see why she was so anxious. I thought he got better after all these years. Guess not.

"I-I..."

"I didn't expect anything better from worthless trash like you. I honestly thought your name would be added to the growing list of missing personnel. Regardless, I expect a detailed explanation when we get back to the headquarters. Don't think I'm going to let this slide, Lieutenant." - the blonde bastard says before turning to leave. I stop Noel before she can follow him.

"Leave her alone, Jin." - I say and as soon as he hears my voice, his body tenses up. Now he notices me.

"Stay out of this, Nu!" - Noel pleads, but I'm not about to listen to her.

"Do you really think I'm going to just stand here and let that bastard get away with this shit again?" - I say in response.

"...Again? What do y-"

"Just don't worry about this. I'll deal with him." - I interrupt the girl before she can pry any further. The less she knows, the better.

"...Another one...This doesn't concern you. Get out of my sight." - Jin orders with his hand gripping the handle of his sword, ready to cut me into pieces if I refuse.

" _Target in possession of Nox Nyctores Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa. Increasing target threat level to...B._ "

"Doesn't concern me? Heh, you haven't changed one bit, Jin. Still a real piece of work, I see." - I say in response to the Major's command. That seems to surprise him.

"Haven't changed?...Who are you?!" - he asks, losing a bit of his composure. I think I have a good idea of what exactly bothers him about me.

"Someone who's going to beat the crap out of you. Don't think I forgot about everything you've done." - I reply as I crack my knuckles.

" _Ragna, you can't fight him unarmed._ " - Nu says with worry lacing her voice.

"I know...I hate to admit it, but I'm going to need your help. You remember my sword, right?" - I ask, making sure to keep it down to a whisper so that Noel can't hear me.

" _Hm? Of course I do! How could Nu forget? I know its shape and weight. After all, your tool has been inside Nu so many t-_ "

"Spare me the details. Can you copy it or not?" - I interrupt Nu before she can continue.

" _Yes._ "

With a distinct sound, space behind me warps as a red and black sword emerges from a portal of the same colors. I grab its handle and pull the whole thing out myself. To my surprise, it feels exactly like my sword and its shape is close enough for me to work with it. I doubt it has the same properties, but this should do the job well enough.

"...No, this can't be...You're...You're...No. I won't let a mere ghost of the past get in my way. Dissipate."


	13. Under Heaven Destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankfully, there is none of that "NIISAN!" business here.

 

"Dissipate."

Cold mist escapes and surrounds Jin as he unsheathes his sword and sends a wave of ice towards me with a swing of his sword. As soon as it comes within my reach, I shatter the freezing projectile with my own sword...Damn, this thing is too fragile. I can already see cracks form on this replica. I might have to replace i-

I roll out of the way to avoid getting rammed by the ice blade that bastard is...riding, which he quickly abandons when he notices that he failed to hit anything. Once I'm back on my feet, I run towards him and swing my sword. It meets Jin's Yukianesa much faster than I expected, throwing me off for a second and letting him to move out of the way before I can overwhelm him with my strength and the sheer weight of my sword. Fortunately, this place is too narrow for him to really go anywhere.

"Is that all you've got?!"

I take a wild swing at that bastard's pretty face and it hits wonderfully. As he staggers from the sudden hit, I raise my foot above my head and bring it down onto his head, slamming him down into the ground with a satisfying crack. This body is surprisingly flexible for someone who's supposed to shoot swords at people.

"I'm not done with you!"

I grab a handful of Jin's hair and lift him off the ground before punching him in the gut. I may not be trying to kill him, but that doesn't mean I'm about to go easy on him and so instead of finishing him off, I reverse my grip on my sword and leap into the air, taking that idiot with me with an upward swing of my sword. This ends up completely shattering the replica thanks to the damage it received from blocking Jin's first attack and our recent clash, but I won't need it until I land. Before we start falling, I rotate my body to deliver an uppercut with my left arm and follow it up by punching the blonde into the wall with my right arm. Whoever owns that building better have money to repair the damage dealt to it.

"Get...out of my sight! "

With some effort, Jin detaches himself from the wall and jumps off it. Air freezes around his sword, forming some sort of a bow made of ice around it and a giant arrow on the blade itself. In a second, he releases an invisible bowstring and the arrow of ice flies towards me. I manage to jump out of the way and the projectile shatters upon impact with the ground, filling the area with thick cold mist...Shit, I can't see anythi-

Something hard hits my left cheek, making me stagger for a bit. That b- I lose footing when something hits my ankles, but I'm prepared for the fall a-

"Halt."

A gloved hand wraps around my throat. He simply raises me as high as he can instead of choking me as I expected him t- Shit, this ice is much colder than it has any right to be! I can't even move my head with these ice pillars holding me in place. I try to move them out of the way with my hands and manage to break them. Jin's sword is already raised to stab the ground, but I have enough time t-

"Think again."

More ice pillars form around me, completely immobilizing and raising me high into the air. Now he made sure to lock my limbs in place as well. The only way I can get out of this is by letting Nu destroy these pillars with her swords, but then she might just kill Jin and be done with this and so all I can do is watch as that bastard throws his sword into the air and jumps after me. I try my best not to scream when he starts slashing me with that damn Nox. Even if the cuts aren't deep enough to sever anything, it still hurts like hell. Finally, he stops the onslaught and raises his sword, prepared for the finishing blow. I glare at him as he swi-

Air between us explodes with a bright flash, blowing us both away. The landing ends up pretty rough, but I can handle it. What matters more is that now Noel might be in danger as well.

"Why the hell did you do that, you idiot?!" - I yell at the girl. It's not like I'm in danger here...According to Rachel, that is. I still don't know how exactly this thing works.

"I can't let you kill each other!" - the Lieutenant replies with a firm voice.

"Noel...VERMILLION!"

This is exactly why I didn't want her to get involved in this mess. While she still can use her own weapons, she still hasn't recovered enough to dodge blows meant to kill her, forcing me to tackle that idiot to the ground before a large sword made of ice can decapitate her. Even as it passes above us, I can still feel the air cool down significantly, which makes us both shiver. This is one of those times I wish Nu wore something more than...this.

"Just stay down and don't get in the way!" - I tell that idiot and she nods.

" _Major external damage. Auto-repair...impossible. You must purge corroded parts if you want these wounds to heal._ " - Nu informs me...wait, what?

""Purge"? What do you mea-"

Shit, he's trying to pull something again by stabbing the ground with his Nox. I'm gonna need a new sword right now. Thankfully, Nu doesn't need to be told anything to make another one appear within my reach and so I pull it o- I duck and cut a pillar of ice in half with a swing of my sword just before it can pierce my back. The cut is clean enough for what I have in mind and so I quickly move behind the pillar and kick the top half of it with enough force to launch it at that blonde bastard. He didn't expect me to do this, but his reaction time is still good enough for him to cut the makeshift projectile into pieces before it can reach him.

...Which distracts him long enough for me to get close and deliver an uppercut to his face again, launching him into the air. I jump into the air to follow up with an overhand punch to his head, then a upward roundhouse kick to his ribs that sends him flying through the alley.

"You damn obstacle..!"

This time, he manages to recover before landing and almost immediately jumps high enough to land on a forming blade of ice that proceeds to fly towards me. I reverse my grip on my sword again and thrust it into the ground in front of me. As soon as Jin comes close enough, I swing my sword upward, flipping over and breaking this odd projectile. Unfortunately, he jumps off just in time and forms another ice sword in his right hand before letting it fly towards me. I easily bat it aside with Nu's replica and block a low aerial sword stri- Shit, it shattered again! A new sword is already c-

"Don't bother!"

As soon as he lands, Jin cuts the new sword in half and forms a bow made of ice again. To his surprise, I shatter it with a single punch and kick him in his gut, giving me some breathing space for a bit. Nu makes another sword and this time, that bastard doesn't interrupting me. Is he too tired? He is in a pretty rough condition at this point. Whatever it is, I can't let this opportunity go to waste.

"Jin!"

I dash towards Jin with my sword raised for a downward diagonal strike and bring it down upon his arm with as much strength as I can muster once I'm close enough to break his arm...Wait, why doesn't it hit...?

"Too slow."

Something lands on the ground behind Jin. I feel like I should know what it is, but it just doesn't register in my head. What the hell is thi-

Searing pain assaults my mind as I finally realize what just happened. That bastard cut my arm off before I could hit him. It doesn't bleed much and the pain is dulled, but it's still distracting.

"Goodbye...Saya."

I try to kick Jin away again before he can cut my head off...Wait, why...Why can't I...No! Not now!

"Activate termination protocol."

In a blinding flash, armor appears on Nu's body along with eight swords floating behind her. I can feel her smile at the man in front of her. Judging by his expression, Jin finds it to be disturbing.

"Wh...What...are you?!"

"Unleashing limiters. Exterminating."

A large portal appears in front of Nu and almost immediately, a large sword flies out of it. Jin doesn't even have enough time to dodge or block it as the sword impales him. Once the tip of the black construct pierces his torso, the whole thing starts digging deeper into his flesh and bones with a sickening sound. The sight of this only makes the smile on Nu's face grow wider. I try to regain control, but now she's actually trying to prevent me from doing so...Damn it! Why now of all times?!

"Switching to kill mode..."

Dozens of portals appear all around Jin and one by one, long thin swords fly out of them straight into his body. Nu's laughter and Jin's pained screams fill the air, but there's nothing I can do now. I shouldn't have started this fight. I shouldn't have let Nu assist me. Now all I can do is watch Jin die as a much larger portal appears above him. As soon as Nu lowers her hand, he'll lose his life.

"Nu! Stop this! Please!" - Noel pleads, but it falls on deaf ears. Even if she tries to use her Bolverk, she won't have enough time to save her superior.

"Sky Blade...Peri-"

Something large grabs Nu's head. It seems to be either made of or covered with metal. Whatever it is, I'm grateful for it.

"I'm sorry, but...I'm merely following my orders." - a calm masculine voice says from behind...I think I can recognize it.

Suddenly, whatever was holding Nu lets her go. She turns around t-

Everything goes black.

* * *

_Floating...Wavering...This is all I can feel before I open my eyes. What greets me is a brilliant blue glow as far as the eye can see. I turn my head, but it's everywhere. There's nothing else aside from me, but...What is this place? It's neither cold nor warm and yet it feels so...nauseating._

_Suddenly, the blue void is replaced by something much more familiar. I remember sitting under this tree, staring at this clear blue sky. I feel someone's hand on my head, but it feels...good? I doesn't bother me and so I don't say anything. Still, I want to know who this is and so I turn around t-_

_The scenery changes again. Everything is fuzzy, but I can make out a person standing in front of me. It looks like a man with spiky hair and a sword in his hands. I can see his eyes glowing in the dark, one green and one red. Is he saying something? I can't hear hi-_

_My body is wracked with pain as the man thrusts his sword into my stomach. It hurts so much, but I can't move. I can't say or do anything to stop him as he pulls his sword out...Is this bastard actually smiling?! Who the he-_

_I'm pulled out of my thoughts as the man starts hacking my body into pieces and the pain comes back even stronger than before. The man's features become much clearer, revealing a red jacket an-_

_"_ I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

_A familiar voice drags me out of this sick dream, but before I can realize what's happen, I lose consciousness again._


	14. Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually using Alter Memory for some things here and there, including how Nu's repair system works (which is good enough as it is in CT and CS) and areas not shown or properly described in the source.
> 
> Things may be a bit weird considering the setting used here, but then again, we had Dr. Lugae and Barnabas in FFIV.

 

" _Loading...Loading...Loading..._ "

I open my eyes with a groan. To put it mildly, I feel like shit. It's as if I fell of a cliff and then rolled down a freaking mountain. I really need a good stre- Well, isn't that just lovely? There's something binding my wrists...wrist, ankles and torso. What's left of my right arm is not bound by anything, but there's not much I can do with it anyway.

Another thing I've noticed is that I'm not wearing anything. It looks like someone was considerate enough to move some of Nu's ridiculously long hair to cover...certain parts, but I'd rather wear what I had before or, better yet, what I wore before this whole mess started. Still, I don't see the point of stripping me naked. I don't even have that eyepatch anymore...Why does she even need it anyway? Her right eye is still here even if everything looks blurry when I close my left eye, so, what's the point? Maybe I should ask...No. That can wait.

I look around to figure out where the hell I am. It's a rather dimly lit room with only two sources of light, one on the ceiling and one on some kind of a table...What are they supposed to be? They are not lanterns, torches or those fancy glowing crystals I've seen from time to time. Both are some sort of glowing egg-shaped objects made of...glass, I guess? There's something inside, but it hurts my eyes when I try to take a closer look.

Anyway, this room seems to be divided into two parts, one reserved for what I assume is my cell and the other for some woman sitting at a table littered with papers. There's not much to say about the cell. It's completely empty aside from me and the golden chains binding me. It's all just metal-plated walls and a barrier separating this cell from the rest of the room. Despite all this metal here, it's still not very impressive compared to the place where I found Nu. It was much bigger and everything was made of metal rather than simply being covered with it.

On the other hand, the other part of the room is full of boxes, food and trash. It's both on the floor and on the table. The walls there are also metal-plated. There are bookshelves here too, but they are disorganized. Looks like this whole place hasn't been cleaned up for days if not weeks. There is also some sort of a large glass container near the table, but I can't see what's inside with this kind of lighting.

That woman herself is certainly an interesting sight. Pink hair, rather small glasses, prominent bags under ember eyes, red pants that stop around her knees, what looks like a white modified version of the Kaka villagers' jackets and...two pink tails? A beastkin, huh? Well, she is the only person I can see and I can't really do much, so, might as well ask her what the hell is going on. She's busy...examining my eyepatch, but a little break won't hurt.

"Hey, you!" - I call out and almost immediately, the pink-haired woman jumps like a startled cat and reaches out for some weird metal thing...I think it's the same one that the Red Devil was carrying.

"Goddamnit, not now! What a piece of..." - the woman mumbles as obnoxiously loud noises come from the metal thing.

"Woah, easy there! The hell was that for?" - I ask, surprised by the beastkin's reaction. What the hell did I do t- Oh, right, Nu. I bet she is responsible for this.

"...Alright...This is already going much better than before. Rise and shine, I guess. Make yourself comfortable if you can and don't cut off any limbs this time. Got it?" - the woman says as she rubs her poor ear, now more irritated than scared. The feeling is mutual.

"Yeah, real funny. Who the hell are you and where am I?" - I ask.

"The name's Kokonoe and you're in my lab, something you should be grateful for. Man, you were a real pain in the ass to deal with, but now you're actually trying to ask questions? Can't say that I don't prefer this over the shit you tried to pull earlier. Either way, now that you're awake, let's get to business. Here's how this works: I ask you questions, you answer them and maybe I'll let you go. Once I get all the info I need, I'll have no reason to keep you here, but until then, you're not getting anywhere. So, be a good girl, answer my questions and everything will be fine." - Kokonoe replies before putting something blue in her mouth.

"And what if I don't?" - I ask. It's not like they can do much with me.

"Then others will declare my experiment a failure and do their own thing. In other words, they'll cut you up and throw the remains out once you're all broken and useless. You don't want those idiots to get their hands on you, do you? I don't think so. Just stick to what I tell you and stop pissing me off." - the beastkin replies. Now this doesn't sound good at all. Even if I can't die, it still sounds nasty.

"...Alright, I'll be on my best behavior. Shoot away." - I comply with a drawn out sigh.

"Where should I even...Oh. That should do it. What are you?" - Kokonoe asks.

"Give me a sec...I think it was "Delusional bina _ry prim-_ "

"Dimensional boundary interface prime field device No. 13 Anti-Sankishin core unit, Nu." - Nu herself replies, probably because I ended up butchering the whole thing, which is hard not to do when half of these words don't make sense. I'm surprised she bothered replying without immediately skewering that woman. I should probably push her back just in case though.

"...Well, that's a mouthful. Too bad it doesn't tell me much. Still, this is already working much better than trying to read your memories directly. Okay, next question...I already know who created you from the brief glimpses into that weird brain of yours, so, don't bother telling me that. What I want to know is how and why you were created? On the outside, you are completely indistinguishable from a human and it's hard to notice any differences on the inside, but once you start digging in deeper, it becomes obvious. Why would that bastard go through the trouble of creating a doll that's so human-like and y-"

The whole place shakes for a second, alarming us both. That's certainly not a good sign.

"Now what?!" - the beastkin exclaims before running out of the room.

" _Hehehe...She thinks she can hold us here with these chains...keep us trapped here...Say, Ragna, why don't we leave this place?_ " - Nu suggests once Kokonoe is out of sight.

"And how are we gonna do this?" - I ask as I try to move my left arm and legs around.

" _Why, with these, you dummy!_ "

Three portals appear where the chains bind me before circular blades emerge from them and start rapidly spinning in place. Not exactly subtle, but they get their job done quickly and in a few seconds, I fall onto the floor. Face-first.

"...Thanks. What about the barrier?" - I ask as I try to stand up, completely forgetting about the lack of my right arm.

" _On it!_ "

Space in front of me is torn open before a giant sword emerges from it and shatters the transparent barrier. With that out of the way, I approach the table and pick up my eyepatch. Once it's back on my face, I look around for the rest of my clothes. To my relief, everything is here...Wait...where is...

"Um...Nu? Were you wearing any...well..."

" _Nope!_ "

...Alright. I try to think of how to put this outfit on instead of...Anyway, I've never seen anything like this. I didn't put much thought into this before as I didn't have any reason to, but now that I look at it...

"Er, how am I supposed to do this?" - I ask Nu while holding her outfit in front of me.

" _Gosh, you're hopeless..._ "

Nu seizes control of her body and, thankfully, puts the suit on herself. Apparently, I'm supposed to slide into it, then fasten the metal collar on it like a belt and then somehow the cape appears on its own. In other words, I don't like this confusing mess one bit. I'll take something normal over this any day. Still, there's still something else that needs to be taken care of. Nu's right arm is still missing.

"Okay, what about this thing?" - I ask as I wave the remains of my right arm around for emphasis.

" _Tear it out!_ " - Nu rep...

"...What?"

" _Tear it out! I've told you that you have to purge the corroded parts, haven't I? That's exactly what I meant. That ice corrodes life and until it's gone, I can't repair myself. Now what are you waiting for? Tear it out!_ "

This sounds like a really stupid idea, but I'm going to trust her here. This is gonna hurt like a bitch. I grip the stump and t-

"AAARGH! Is...Is this enough?!" - I ask Nu, but all I get in response is what sounds like a sharp intake of air and...Is she actually enjoying this?!

" _Beginning...Beginning auto-repair...Ah, Ragna! Do it again! Again!_ " - the damn psycho almost squeals in ecstasy as her right arm regrows.

"That's enough! Let's just get the hell outta he-"

A sound coming from the glass container draws my attention. I still can't see what's inside, but I bet Nu can.

"Hey, Nu, what's inside this thing?" - I ask the still excited girl.

" _Scanning...Scanning...Scanning...Scanning...Target confirmed. IFF determined. Processing...Target identified...as...me...All extraneous objects will be deleted."_  - Nu repl-

I try to shatter the sword aimed to impale whatever is inside, but I react a moment too late and it ends up breaking the glass. Something starts leaking out of the cra- Shit! Looks like that was enough for the whole thing to break and something falls down once all the liquid is drained from the container. I catch it in my arms and...Nu was right.

"Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Error. Data not found." - the replica in my arms mumbles before raising her head to look at me.

"Um, hi?" - I greet th-

The door swings open and Kokonoe enters the room.

"Damn Detonator! Looks like we'll have to cut our i- How the hell did you escape?!"


	15. Unannounced guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why a chainsaw? FFVI, that's why.

 

"How the hell did you escape?! That barrier is supposed to be resistant to physical and magical attacks. What did you do?!" - Kokonoe asks, clearly surprised and royally pissed off by this discovery.

"I think that can wait. What is the meaning of this?" - I ask in response, lifting Nu's copy a little higher for emphasis.

"This isn't the time for...Urgh, whatever. I was going to reveal it much later, but looks like all cards are on the table. When Tager retrieved you, he took your severed arm as well. Once we gave up trying to examine you, we came up with a different plan. Long story short, we used whatever usable material was left from your arm to make this copy. The method used is still a work in progress and so the result is literally you, but with half the strength, no memories she can access and all the information you have. Certainly much easier to deal with than you. Now can we cut this crap an-"

"Look, I don't have time to deal with this shit. It was nice knowing you, but I've gotta go." - I interrupt the beastkin by giving the replica to its creator befo-

"Not so fast, asshat! I've told you that this copy isn't perfect, haven't I? Aside from all the differences in appearance and performance, her existence is also unstable. If you move at least a hundred feet away from her, she'll blow up and destroy everything in a ten kilometer radius. Once she stabilizes herself, we'll retrieve her for proper examination. Until then, you have to keep her company." - Kokonoe warns me as she helps the replica stand on her own...Is it just me or does she look way too smug?

" _That doesn't sound too bad. Let's leave her right now. We'll get caught in the blast too, but I can look past that. Let's go, Ragna!_ " - Nu suggests just as I expected her to do.

"So, let me get this straight: you want me to babysit this living bomb and keep an eye on her or else she blows up? Are you insane?! Why the hell would you even make something this dangerous?!...As if I didn't have enough shit on my hands as it is...Alright, it's not like I have much of a choice here. I'll do it. Can I go now?" - I ask, eager to leave this place.

" _What? No! You already have me! Why would you want Nu, but worse?! You can't have anyone, but Nu!_ " - the girl in my head protests to no avail.

"Hate to rain on your parade, but no. We're sort of in the middle of something here. Looks like the "Architect" wants his doll back." - the pink-haired woman replies.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Who the hell is this architect guy and why should I care?" - I ask. It's not hard to figure out who the doll is.

" _Architect Relius Clover is the one who made Nu!_ " - Nu replies, back to using the same cheerful tone she has been using for the past few minutes.

"Huh? You don't even know who made you? But it's all over the place in your...Whatever. The only thing that matters is that his wife is currently trying to wreck this place while searching for you. I don't know where that bastard is, but he's probably somewhere close. I had spent too much time and effort on you to simply let him take you back and so I sent Tager to deal with them. I'm confident in his abilities, but those two are far from amateurs. That's why I must get you two outta here befo-"

I tackle both Kokonoe and the replica to the ground before a large flying red body can hit them.

"I'm...sorry, Kokonoe..." - the mass of muscles and armor apologizes before losing consciousness.

The sound of clicking heels follows soon after the dust settles. I lift my head to locate the source of this sound and find something very tall making its way towards us with its clawed hands clasped together. Compared to the Red Devil, it's in a much better condition, but it's clear that the fight wasn't one-sided. There are cracks on its white mask, dents on its silver armor and claws, tears on its pink-ish dress and a part of its bizarre hat is missing a piece. There are no bladed weapons on the red giant, so, I assume that he wasn't its only opponent.

"Alright, what is this thing?" - I ask the beastkin as she and the replica stand up while I quickly pick up the blade on the table that Nu usually uses to keep her braid together.

"Ignis Clover, Relius' wife and the so-called Detonator. In other words, we're in deep shit." - Kokonoe replies with clear distaste in her voice as she glares at the thing in question, which is now standing in what once was a doorframe.

"He's got some weird taste...Whatever. If she wants a fight, I'll send her back in pieces. You two should just get the hell outta here and leave this thing to me." - I say as I prepare myself for the fight.

"Aren't you forgetting something? You get too far from the copy and it blows up. Besides, I've got some weapons to field-test!" - the beastkin exclaims...Wait, where did she get that thing? It looks like some sort of a sword, but there are also tiny curved blades on it and the handle has a completely different form. How that is a practical wea- Oh, the smaller blades are supposed to move along the larger one. Now that looks nasty.

"Subject determined to be hostile...Now beginning termination." - Nu sa...Wait, I don't feel my lips move and it's certainly not...So, it was the replica. I'd rather not get her involved in this fight when she still looks so weak.

"No, stay out of this. I'll handle this myself." - I tell the others, but only the replica complies. Fighting with loose hair of this length is going to be a pain in the ass and this blade isn't long enough for me to use properly, giving me a major handicap here.

With two of us ready to fight back, Ignis unclasps her ha- Shit, she's fast!

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Just before the Detonator can grab me, space between us is torn apart and an old fart in a tux comes out in time to swat her arm away.

"W-What are you doing here?!" - I ask the elderly butler and holy shit, he looks straight up giant. He always was this tall, but in comparison to everyone present...aside from Ignis, he looks much bigger.

"Madam Rachel wishes to see you again and I am here to carry out my master's will. Best do as milady says, child." - the old man says right before parrying an incoming claw swipe.

"How did you find this place?!" - Kokonoe asks, certainly annoyed by yet another unannounced arrival.

"I am sure - you are more than - familiar with - our methods." - Valkenhayn replies, pausing whenever he needs to block Ignis' punches with his own kicks.

"...Fine, but if you're going to do so, then you'll have to bring this girl with us." - I tell the butler, pointing at the person in question.

"Very well." - the old man complies before another portal appears.

"Hey, get back here!" - the beastkin calls out before another claw swipe from Ignis forces her to focus on the enemy. The last thing I hear before the scenery changes is a very loud noise and equally loud curses coming from the scientist.

"...Are you sure she's gonna be okay?" - I ask Valkenhayn and he merely nods in response.

It doesn't look like he really wants to talk to me...or even be in my presence and so I decide to take a look at the replica. Just as Kokonoe said, there are several differences in appearance between her and Nu. The most obvious one is her blonde hair and slightly tanned skin, although the skin on her right arm matches Nu's. Her outfit has a few differences as well, with a black skin-tight suit, a completely different cape and no eyepatch.

Of course, none of this matters as much as the lack of the whole "RAGNA!" thing I'm so sick of. I really don't know what I would do if I had two of these pestering me. I wonder what Noel would think of having...

...I almost forgot about what happened back then. If Nu wasn't interrupted, it would have ended in a disaster. I doubt she would have killed the Lieutenant as well, but...I must figure out how to prevent that from happening again. Simply trying to hold her back didn't work as it gets much harder when she's angry or when I take too much damage, changing her views is just outright stupid and there's no way I can force her not to try to kill someone on a whim. I guess the best I can do is not getting into fights I may not win or at the very least be more careful about it. It won't guarantee anything, but it would lower the risk. May-

"Look! The fool is here!" - an incredibly annoying voice throws me out of my thoughts.

"And he's got a guest..." - a much less and yet still very annoying voice adds.

In a few seconds, Rachel's table and her merry band of punchbags finally come into view. As usual, she's sipping on her tea.

"Thank you, Valkenhayn. Now, I would like you to leave us alone for a moment." - the rabbit says as she puts down her cup.

"As you wish, Madam. I shall prepare the finest tea to wash out the bad taste this child is sure to leave you with." - the old fart says in response before leaving. Thankfully, Rachel's servants follow him without much of a-

"You'd better watch yourself, Misster!" - the stupid bat warns me as if it has any right to do so...Wait, Misster?

"Shut your piehole or else you're gonna catch my fist in it." - I threaten the damn thing and it quickly flies away to catch up with the others, leaving only me, Rachel and the replica here.

"Such rude behavior is unbecoming of a lady such as you, Ragna. It seems that I might have to teach you some manners lest you continue embarrassing yourself." - the bloodsucker scolds me with that annoying matter-of-fact tone she loves to use.

"I'm not in the mood for your bullshit, rabbit." - I say in response. I think of hitting the table leg hard enough to spill the tea on this brat, but then I think better of it. Now that is going too far. Besides, she can just use wind magic to redirect all of it back at me and I don't feel like getting burned by tea of all things.

"It seems that your filthy mouth needs some work as well. I should have had Valkenhayn fetch me a soap. However, I am willing to let it slide this time. I would not have asked my servant to waste time on retrieving you if I merely wished to have an idle talk with a peasant like you." - Rachel says. I'll just ignore the completely pointless shit she spouts.

"Then why am I here?" - I ask the vampire. I still don't know how her little head works even after all these years I've known her.

"My original intent was to critique your miserable performance in order to preserve the rest of this foolish play, but it appears that there are unanounced changes in the script. Would you be so kind as to introduce your new companion to me?"


	16. Talking over a cup of tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much dialogue...And, as usual, things gets weird.

 

"I see. It pains me to no end that your pitiful intelligence has yet to improve after all this time. Perhaps it was foolish of me to think that having a different brain would have helped you." - the damn bloodsucker says in what sounds like a mocking tone to me.

"I'm getting real sick of your shit, rabbit...Whatever. Is that all?" - I ask as I rub the bridge of my nose to ease the growing headache.

"You still haven't told me her name." - Rachel replies.

"Well, that's because she doesn't have one." - I say in response. I don't see where she is going with this.

"Then why don't you give her one? You two will spend quite a lot of time together in the future and given her current state, a name is a necessary step." - the vampire suggests. I don't see any reason not to do this.

"Hm...How about...Mu? No, we've already used that..." - I try to come up with something as I look at the replica, but nothing comes to mind.

" _Lambda should be fine..._ " - Nu suggests. She still hasn't calmed down, huh?

"Does "Lambda" sound good to you?" - I ask the replica.

"Sounds...good?" - she repeats, tilting her head a little.

"I mean...Do you want to be called that? I don't know what it means and if y-"

"Lambda...Identification data has been recorded. Requesting target identification." - Lambda interrupts me with a request of her own.

"Nu?" - I reply. I'm tired of using this name, but a little caution won't hurt. Then again, Rachel has already called me "Ragna" earlier. Just to be sure, I turn to the vampire to see her opinion, but she merely nods. Eh, whatever.

"Searching...Match found. Thirteenth Dimensional Boundary Interface Prime Field Device. Target contains multiple existence nodes in a single body. Updating records..." - the replica says, seemingly losing herself in thoughts. Now that she spoke a much longer sentence, I can notice a minor difference in her voice. It's softer compared to Nu's.

" _Looks like she still has access to her database. I guess that's better than nothing? I still think we should totally dump her somewhere and forget she ever existed._ " - the original one mutters. I'd tell her to shut it, but ignoring her usually gets better results.

"Your tea, madam." - the butler says as he p- Wait, why are there three cups on the tray?

"Thank you. Now, would you two care to share some tea with me?" - Rachel offers, something I didn't really expect, but I can appreciate it. I feel thirsty right now.

"...Tea? Searching. Found: A drink commonly made from tea leaves...Requesting permission t-"

"Take it easy. A drink won't hurt. I accept your offer, rabbit." - I interrupt Lambda with a wave of my hand...Was this third chair always here?

" _You do know that it's completely unnecessary, right? Besides, every second we spend here is a second wasted not searching for the Azure Grimoire. You want to fix everything, don't you?_ " - Nu asks. She does have a point, but...

"Gimme a break, will ya? I just need to rest for a bit. Then, we'll continue our quest as planned." - I reply as I take my seat with Lambda doing the same after a short pause...I almost forgot about the blade I've been holding this whole time. I should probably put it on my lap and not on the table.

"Your resolve truly is admirable. It's a shame that it's wasted on what may very well be a fruitless endeavor. Have you ever considered the possibility that this Grimoire you're after does not exist? Perhaps you should consider alternate solutions to your...problem?" - the vampire asks as her butler pours tea into each cup. It smells really good. Don't know what kind of tea it is and I don't really care as I'm not picky.

"Well, this is all I have to work with for now and I'm stickin' to it until it proves to be a failure or something else comes up." - I reply with a sigh. The tea should still be too hot to drink.

"If that is your decision, then I shall not bore you with good advice. Valkenhayn, it appears that I will require your services once more. Would you be so kind as to prepare a bath?" - Rachel asks her butler.

"Of course, madam. Shall I have the bedchamber made ready as well?" - the elderly man asks.

"Yes, please." - the little girl replies before Valkenhayn bows and leaves us again.

"Hey, rabbit, can you tell me somethin'? I rarely ask about things like these, but...Well, did anything unusual happen lately?" - I ask the vampire...Is Lambda gonna keep staring at her cup? I...I don't mind that, but...

"Why, yes, there is something quite unusual. In fact, even I find it concerning. However, Yomotsu Hirasaka can wait. Your tea will go to waste if we keep talking." - Rachel replies before she starts drinking her cup. So much for that.

Alright, if she doesn't want to keep our little chat going, then I might as well drink some of this tea. Thankfully, it has cooled down a bit and there's plenty of it. I don't get to drink this kind of stuff every day. I pick up my cup and bring it to my lips. I take a sip and what the hell did that old fart do with this tea? Now I wish I could drink it more often. In no time at all, the cup is empty and back on the table.

" _...Okay, maybe this wasn't a complete waste of time, but I still insist on going back to what matters._ " - Nu reluctantly admits. I'm not gonna call it a sign of progress just yet.

I turn to look at Lambda to find her trying to repeat my actions. There's some hesitation, but she goes through with it and as soon as she starts drinking her tea, her eyes widen. I mean this is the first time she...well, drank anything, let alone something as good as this tea.

"It appears that you're enjoying yourself. You do not need to share my refined palate to appreciate Valkenhayn's work...but that is not why you are smiling, is it?" - the vampire says, her cup still far from empty...Wait...Yeah, I guess I just couldn't help it. There's something...refreshing about the replica. None of that bullshit aside from the whole bomb thing.

"Tea: entry updated...Thank...you?" - Lambda thanks our host, which actually manages to get some sort of a reaction out of her. I'm not sure what exactly it is though. I rarely see this bloodsucker without a bored, smug or mildly annoyed look on her face.

"A child has better manners than an adult...Perhaps there is something for you to learn from Lambda...Very well. I feel generous today and you have your companion to thank for that. You look dreadfully tired and as such, I am willing to let you stay the night. Your room will be ready in due time. But first, you must take a bath. I do not want any of that filth to stain my property." - Rachel says. I do need to wash away all this blood, dust and dirt and so I have to take this chance.

"Sounds good to me, but where am I supposed to go? Your castle is too big for me to find everything myself." - I ask the surprisingly generous vampire. With a sigh, she claps her hands and the last two critters I wanted to see appear out of nowhere.

"Nago, Gii, escort this simpleton and make sure to keep an eye on her. If you receive any reasonable requests, fulfil them immediately and do not talk back no matter how unsightly her behavior becomes. Consider this your punishment for your failure. Now it's time for me to bid you a good night."

* * *

Holy shit, is this what our little princess can have literally whenever she wants?

This bath and the room it's located in seems almost too big for a single little girl like her, but the gloomy and yet colorful decorations along with loads of rose bushes make it clear that Rachel Alucard is the owner. Can't say I appreciate these pumpkins staring at me though. I swear I can hear them rattle with laughter whenever I'm not looking.

Of course, this is all easy to overlook when I'm submerged in pleasantly hot water. The one thing I can't ignore is that I still don't have the courage to...um...get to work. Taking off clothes alone was awkward enough, but this is just...too much. None of this belongs to me and...I'll just leave Nu to deal with that. Her hair is the only part I'm completely fine with. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with washing hair of this length. Fortunately, I have those two idiots for that. Their master's hair isn't any shorter and so they should know what to do.

The only other person in the room is Lambda, who is currently sitting on the floor with her legs dangling absentmindedly in the water. It's a good thing she didn't decide to join me since she was in a relatively better condition. I have enough problems dealing with what currently is my body.

" _I wish we were separate right now..._ " - Nu mumbles...Wait, what?

"H-Huh? Didn't you want to become one or something?" - I ask for clarification. This is a very sudden change in behavior.

" _I still do, but if we were separate, this bath would have been so much better!_ " - th...Wha..?

"Uh, you do know that...um..."

" _It would be so beautiful! Just you and me, stabbing and cutting each other into pieces until the water is red with our blood and we can't tell who is who! Just imagine how much fun we could have!_ " - the damn psycho continues. This is why I'm glad that nobody can hear her.

"Can you stop? This is getting creepy." - I tell the excited girl.

" _Oh, silly Nu! We don't have to be separate for this to happen! It won't be the same, but as long as it's with you, it will be just as good! We can start right now! But first, what's more important? Length or girth? I'm fine with either one..._ " - Nu asks, completely ignoring what I've just said. This is one of the times I wish I could get my hands on her. I don't care if she has the same voice, but what I do care about is how she uses it and this isn't fine.

"I've told you to shut up!" - I shout and, to my relief, I hear a disappointed sigh. Unfortunately, this draws everyone's attention.

"Is everything alright?" - the black cat asks. NOW he's concerned?

"...Yes." - I reply. A half-assed answer, but all that matters is that nobody decides to press on.

" _...Hehe...Hehehehe...You still haven't taken purged all corroded parts, have you?_ " - t...Shit. I forgot about that. It wasn't as noticeable as a missing arm, but I can't just keep ignoring the rest of my frozen wounds.

"Oh for the love of...Do I have to claw it out?" - I ask and all I get in response from that bitch is an annoying giggle. Yeah, this is funny. Real hilarious.

And suddenly, this bath isn't so relaxing anymore.


	17. Rise and shine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the 17th chapter and there's still a lot to go through. This is certainly going to be much longer than my first work here even if all this fluff (?) is removed.

" _Loading...Loading...Loading...Complete. Good morning, Ragna!_ "

I open my eyes...eye. It's still night outside, but that's how it always is in this place and so instead of the morning sun greeting me, pale moonlight fills the room through the needlessly large window to my right. I guess that's neat if you're a vampire like Rachel...Alright, time to get up. I stret-

I stop as soon as I notice a certain replica sleeping with her head laying on my chest with both of us tangled in a mess of blankets, capes and hair. She certainly didn't fall asleep like this. I remember the...time before I fell asleep well enough to be sure of it.

Man, that was one hell of a night. Nu just had to ruin that bath by reminding me of wounds inflicted by Jin. That bastard wasn't planning on killing me with these and yet half of these cuts were deep enough to be a pain in the ass to deal with. Every goddamn slice was frozen over and I had to rip out every chunk of ice that formed on my body, but first, I had to literally scratch out flesh around them so that I could remove the ice without leaving anything behind. I'm surprised that I didn't end up breaking any of Nu's nails.

Oh, that bitch...If the process of "purging corroded parts" wasn't bad enough on its own, then listening to Nu laughing, moaning and repeatedly screaming my name throughout the whole thing made it a shitty experience. How is this so enjoyable for her?! It's not like she actually enjoys pain on its own. She certainly didn't care when I got punched by a black muscular cat umbrella or when I got my arm cut off...Is it the thought of me hurting myself or...me hurting her? Her hurting me? Us hurting each other?

Anyway, I probably should have had Rachel's familiars leave before I went through all that shit. They certainly were not pleased by it and I'm sure the vampire would be outright furious at the sight of all this blood and discarded flesh. Thankfully, they agreed to clean up the mess and didn't say anything once they understood what the hell I was trying to do. While the cat was busy dealing with the bloody aftermath, the bat led me to my room where I proceeded to flop down onto the bed after changing into Nu's newly washed clothes. For some reasons, Lambda repeated my actions and promptly fell asleep on the large bed we were meant to share.

Now Lambda, unlike Nu, didn't go apeshit during that gory procedure. It didn't look like she enjoyed the sight, which also means that Nu's kink isn't something she was made with. She didn't look disgusted by it or anything, but she did look somewhat worried and asked me what the purpose of my actions was. Once I gave her the answer, her face regained its usual expression...or lack of it.

Alright, back to the situation at hand. With the replica in this position, I can't move without waking her up.

" _Can you throw her off? Please? Maybe even kick her out of the room for good measure? No, wait! Throw her out of the window! Please! Get her away from, um, us!_ " - Nu pleads, being an annoying little brat as usual. Yeah, no. Ain't happening.

Well, this isn't the first time something like this happened. Usually it didn't happen in a large somewhat demonic castle in an eternally nocturnal pocket dimension with me being in the wrong body with a replica of said body on top of me, but still. I didn't even notice my arm move to rest on top of Lambda's head. Saya used to fall asleep on top of me all the time whenever we decided to rest under that tree. Sometimes even Jin joined us and trying to get out of that mess of blonde hair became much harder. He would start bitching whenever I moved too much or our sister took too much space, but Saya herself didn't like getting pushed out of the way either and so I had to calm them down. Usually stroking their heads took care of that.

...which is exactly what I find myself doing with Lambda's head.

" _Raaaaaaaagnaaaaaaaaa..._ "

...Fine. Looks like I have to cut this short. But first, I want to see something. Everyone seems to be so eager to pull on that lock of hair sticking out of Nu's hair. I don't feel like doing it to myself and so I pinch the tip of the replica's own lock between my index finger and thumb. With my target in my grasp, I take a deep breath and pul-

"Loading...Loading...Loading..." - Lambda mutters as she suddenly sits up with her eyes wide open. In a few seconds, her posture becomes less rigid and she starts rubbing her eyes.

...Okay, this isn't what I expected to happen. I still don't understand what's so great about it. Whatever. Now that I've literally got a weight off my chest, I finally stretch my limbs out and it feels good.

"Good morning, Lambda." - I greet the replica as I sit up and scratch my head. I still haven't braided my hair...What if...

"Good morning...Nu." - the blonde returns the greeting. It sounds...flat?

"...Um, could you do me a favor?"

* * *

It feels much better now that all this long hair isn't getting everywhere. Thank you for making this possible, Kokonoe, but you're still dangerously close to being put on my shitlist.

"Awake already, I see?"

As always, Rachel is in her rose garden, sitting at her white table with a cup of tea in her hand and her butler at her side. I don't know for how long she's been here or why she even needs to sleep, but that will wait.

"Good morning...night to you too, rabbit." - I greet the vampire.

"Have you enjoyed your stay at my castle?" - Rachel asks with a hint of a smug smile forming on her pale face.

"Yeah, thanks for that, but we've gotta go now. Mind sending us back to Kagutsuchi? The sooner I'm done with this shit, the better." - I ask in response. I really wish she didn't have to teleport us to the city's outskirts, but this is good enough.

"Are you really sure you do not wish to stay here? The position of my personal maid is still vacant and ripe for taking. I even have your uniform prepared ahead of time. Valkenhayn, if you will..." - the damn bloodsucker asks before Valkenhayn pulls out the said item out of nowhere...What kind of perverted asshole came up with this sorry excuse of a uniform? This skirt is way too short to work without...Wait, this aesthetic...

"...Goddamn it, Rachel...Since when did you...You know what? I'm not even gonna ask how you came up with this. No, I'm not going to serve you and this is final. Now just...get us outta here." - I demand, unwilling to stay in this place any longer.

"Very well. Consider it done. However, I cannot send you back into the forest as I had done before. It is no longer safe for you to be there. As such, you will have to make your way through Kagutsuchi starting with a completely different area. I have one particular area in mind, one which will be devoid of dangers for you at the cost of longer travel time." - Rachel informs me...No longer safe?...Whatever, it's not that big of a deal.

"You know, you still haven't told me anything about that Yomotsu Hirasaka thing. Can you tell me all about it now?" - I ask the vampire, recalling our last conversation.

"It's not a "thing", you ignorant fool. Yomotsu Hirasaka is a place. To be precise, it's a slope that leads to a cave that is usually blocked off by a giant boulder. This area wasn't anything of note...but something has changed there recently. Something appeared there and made the cave its residence. We still don't know what it is, but we do know that it feeds on life itself. Many have come too close and vanished without a trace. To make matters worse, whatever is inside the cave pollutes the area. It is now completely uninhabitable thanks to the dense black fog that had formed in it. The only saving grace is that this creature refuses to leave its cave and does not actively hunt down new victims. Is your curiosity sated now? If so, depart immediately and do not try my patience." - Rachel replies. I don't think I've ever heard of that place.

"Sheesh, that's rough. Alright, let's go." - I say and almost immediately, the scenery changes and I find myself in an area I'm not familiar with.

This time, I'm in what is obviously a town rather than a forest. I notice some similarities with Orient Town, but it feels more like a place for people to simply live in. The buildings here are certainly not as colorful and most of them look much simpler in design, with some of them still under construction. The most obvious difference is the addition of oriental cherry trees.

...Maybe teleporting us right in the middle of a populated town wasn't such a good idea. Now everyone is staring at us. Speaking of which, the people here are also different from Orient Town's population. These guys actually look like they live here. They don't look particularly rich or well-fed, but they don't look like a pack of hungry wolves ready to tear apart whoever passes through either. I should probably do something about them. It looks like Lambda is getting nervous and I'd rather not find out if she's just as bloodthirsty as Nu.

" _Just kill a few of them and they'll all go away._ " - Nu suggests and, as usually goes, I ignore her.

"...Quit staring, will ya?" - I shout at the crowd. It doesn't seem to work well...wait, what are they looking at now?...Are these...ninjas?

"I have finally found you, villain!"


	18. The guardian of love and justice

There, on the roof of one of the taller buildings, is a figure of a tall man. I can't make out any details due to the sunlight, but I can tell that he's not dressed like the ninjas next to him.

"Who the hell are you?" - I ask the man.

"Hah! It is only polite to tell your name before asking others... But I will say it only once...I suggest you pay attention! I'm Bang Shishigami! The loyal ninja who fights for love and justice! The strongest vigilante in all of Kagutsuchi!" - Bang shouts, beginning his introduction. I'm not really paying attention to it, but it's really loud.

" _...No, screw this, I'm outta here. Initiate ignore protocol. Ignoring...Ignoring...Ignoring..._ " - Nu says...Wow. This jackass actually managed to make her back out.

"Alright, alright, I get it, just shut up. What do you want from me?" - I ask the annoying ninja.

"W-Have you been paying any attention?!...No matter. You will pay for your crimes! That young man told me everything!" - the obnoxiously loud man replies, pointing his finger at me.

"Target determined hostile. Awaiting orders." - Lambda says. It doesn't look like she really cares much about any of this.

...I can just beat the crap out of this idiot and move on...but that didn't get me anywhere the last time I tried to use brute force. Alright, I've made up my mind. If he tries to pull anything, I'll fight back and if he doesn't, then we'll talk this out.

"We surrender." - I declare with a flat tone.

"Acknowledged. Standing by." - the replica says in response.

"Very well! Then here I come! En gua- Wait, whaaaaaaat?!" - Bang yells in the middle of a jump only to suddenly start fumbling in the air and completely mess everything up.

"Boss!" - one of the ninjas accompanying the tall man cries out, reaching out for what I assume is their leader a moment too late.

Shit, if he doesn't recover in time, there will be a lot of blood and guts to clean up. I really don't feel like doing this...Here goes nothing. I run towards what should be the landing area as fast as I can, with Lambda following me, something I'm grateful for. Once I'm close enough, I extend my arms and spread them wide. Here he comes aaaaand got him! He's certainly heavier than my real body and goddamn, he smells like shit! It's like he kept running for years and all that sweat is still on his body!

"She caught our Boss!" - one of the ninjas shouts, pointing at us.

"Good catch!" - another one shouts, raising his arm in the air.

"You have my gratit-"

I don't give much time for the disgusting piece of crap in my arms to thank me as I throw him as far away as I can, barely suppressing the urge to vomit.

"Dear God, do you even know what a bath is?! Gah!" - I almost wheeze out, trying not to breathe. Even the replica is holding her breath.

" _Reconfiguring sensory systems...Disabling olfactory system...Complete._ " - Nu says and almost immediately, the awful smell disappears...along with every other smell here. Well, this is convenient.

"Public baths are where men go to socialize. I usually wrap up each day by going to the public bath and sharing my point of view with my men. I've never passed a day without going there!" - Bang replies as he stands up, seemingly no worse for wear...I think I'd rather deal with Nu than this man.

"Coulda fooled me...Whatever. I surrender. Just tell me who the hell that young man is and what exactly had he told you about." - I demand. The sooner we get this done and over with, the better.

"I must admit, I did not expect you to surrender without a fight. From the things that young man told me, I thought you were a...different person. Someone who beats up the wounded, threatens genuinely nice people like Miss Litchi and tries to murder a high-ranking NOL soldier in cold blood doesn't sound like someone who would simply...give up and even try to save their enemy's life. As for your first question, I think his name was Noel? He was the one who told me everything about you. Perhaps he was mistaken? You are Nu, aren't you? Your appearance certainly matches the description given to me, but...Maybe we should ask the young man himself?" - the ninja suggests. It sounds like a goo- Wait, Noel? Oh for the love of...!

"Uh...You do know that this "young man" you speak of is actually a girl?" - I ask the scruffy man. The look of surprise on his face almost makes me laugh.

"A...girl? Well, her bosom was rather...lacking and so I...honestly thought she was a boy..." - Bang mumbles with his hand cupping his chin in thought. She'd better not hear it.

"Do you know where she is? You suggested asking her, so, I'm gonna assume that she's somewhere around here and you know where to go to find her. Am I wrong?" - I ask the ninja.

"Your assumption is correct, Miss Nu. Follow me." - the man says as he turns around and starts walking in the direction he probably came from.

I wait a few seconds to make sure that there's enough distance between us before I actually start following him, with Lambda following me as well. Other ninjas stay where they are, but their eyes don't leave us. Wouldn't really call them a pack of hawks though.

As we walk in silence, I take a closer look at the ninja. He's too flashy for someone who's supposed to be able to hide in the shadows or among normal people. That long red scarf, dark armor on his arms and legs and giant nail attached to his back make him stick out like a sore thumb and that's before he starts shouting. Also, those green pants look ridiculous with the way they expose his thighs and that green jacket barely covers his torso.

" _Target in possession of Nox Nyctores Phoenix: Rettenjō...Causality weapon inactive._ " - Nu says...Is that nail his Nox? But why is it inactive?

"I say, you two look very similar to each other and Mi...ss Noel. Are you three related?" - Bang asks after clearing his throat out.

"...We're sisters?" - I reply. Might as well keep the keep that lie up.

"Sisters?" - Lambda repeats, turning her head to look at me.

"Yeah, like triplets or something." - I add. Bangs looks confused by this whole thing.

"Hm...She had never told me anything about you being her relative...She never said anything about your companion either. May I have your name?" - the ninja asks the blonde replica.

"Lambda." - the girl replies.

"How did you meet Noel anyway?" - I ask the scruffy man. He actually frowns.

"If memory serves me right, it was about a week ago. I've heard her cry for help and she was in a poor state when I came, but to my greatest surprise, she wasn't the one who really needed it. It was the young man I've known far too well. "The Hero of Ikaruga" as many call him, but to many here, he's nothing but a murderer. And yet I simply couldn't ignore her pleas for aid. I tried to find Miss Litchi to help them, but she was unavailable and so I've brought them both here to heal their wounds." - Bang replies, now with much more bearable volume.

"...I see. So, is this Ronin-gai?" - I ask and receive a nod in response.

That explains the presence of ninjas and the state of this town. Looks like many relocated here after the mess that happened a few years ago in Ikaruga. I don't remember all the details, but from what I do remember, it wasn't pretty. Many were killed or lost everything they had, including the former Imperator. They were simply trying to become independent, but then that little shit insisted on starting a war and killing their predecessor. This also brings that conversation in the restaurant to mind. Something is certainly not right with the Imperator.

Something catches my eye and I stop. The other two notice it and stop as well. What draws my attention is a set of wanted posters on a wall, all of surprisingly high quality. On it's own, that's nothing special, but one of the faces here looks awfully familiar.

" _Rag...na?_ "

It's a man with spiky white hair, one closed eye, a red jacket worn only on one side and a black shirt underneath it. There is no name given, but damn, he looks a lot like me. If it weren't for the white hair and his eyes, I would have thought they had finally updated my own wanted posters. The reward for this man is...NINETY BILLION PD?! What the hell did this guy even do?!

I look at the second poster. This one is a man wearing a suit of white armor with a completely featureless mask and long hair sticking out of the back of his helmet. The reward for this "Hakumen" person is just as high as it was for my look-alike. In fact, it's the same for all these posters.

"S _usano'o Unit..._ "

The third poster has some shady-looking person with a yellow hood hiding most of his face except for his wide toothy grin and snake-like yellow eyes. Apparently his name is Yuuki Terumi.

The fourth poster depicts a cat in heavy red armor and an eyepatch on his face. He looks a lot like Jubei and his name is the same, but I don't remember the old man ever wearing an eyepatch.

The fifth poster is of a woman with pink hair covering her left eye, a pointy hat on her head, a white shirt that looks too small on her and purple robe. I think I remember seeing her once or twice. "Great Sage Nine" is written on her poster...wait, what is one of those guys doing on a wanted poster?

Moving on to the sixth poster, it's...This guy looks a lot like Valkenhayn except much younger with wild light brown hair and with a slightly different outfit. "Valkenhayn R. Hellsing" is written here.

The final poster shows a bespectacled woman with blonde hair and a white cloak. She looks too kind to be on a wanted posters and yet "Trinity Glassfille" is still here.

"What is this all about?" - I ask the tall vigilante.

"Ah, these? Theses were put almost everywhere a few days ago. I don't know what exactly these people had done to become SS-class criminals, but apparently it was bad enough for the Imperator to put a bounty on their heads with a ridiculously high reward for each one. Something is not right here if you ask me." - Bang replies.

The rest of our trip goes on without anything interesting to talk about or look at until a bunch of ninjas greet the self-proclaimed hero of love and justice.

"Is she here?" - I ask the tall man and he nods. With no time to waste, I approach the small building and slide the door open.

...only to see Bolverk pointed at my face.


	19. A warm welcome

Ain't this a warm welcome? Can't really blame her for this though. The last time I saw her, things didn't go well...and apparently, that was a week ago. I was out for a while, huh? Somehow, Nu was still able to give those Sector Seven guys some real trouble while I was busy taking a nap. They've got only themselves to blame for that.

But first, I've gotta deal with Noel. She's obviously scared, which isn't surprising at all. She might shoot if I make any sudden movements. That's not really a problem for me since she doesn't have Yukianesa with it's ice bullshit, but I'd rather keep my head on my shoulders for longer.

...I wonder where she got this blue kimono. Did Bang get her these clothes? It all looks nice and fits her well, but if a fight breaks out, she's gonna be at a disadvantage. It's certainly better than staying in the same uniform for a whole week though.

"Hey, um, mind putting those things away from my face? I'm not gonna kill you or your Major." - I try to assure the armed girl, which seems to work...somewhat.

"It's...I is really you, Nu?" - Noel asks with an odd tone of voice. I can't tell if she's confused, relieved or angry.

"Who else would it be, you idiot?" - I say in respon- And now these things are even closer to my face.

"Why? Why did you...Why did you try to kill him?" - the Lieutenant asks, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"I...I didn't meant to...It's my fault and I'm sorry for that...But I'm not here to finish the job and I'm not gonna try doing that again...You've gotta believe me. I would never try to kill that asshole even if I got mad at him." - I reply, slowly lowering Noel's arm- Okay, bad idea.

"But then what happened?! Why did you do that?!" - she asks with her Nox pointed at my face again. She's certainly stressed out. She does look much better than the last time I saw her though.

"Whatever happened, it won't happen again. Just put some trust in me, will ya? Besides, I didn't hurt you, did I?" - I reply, now content with simply standing in pla-

"I was so worried about...I-I didn't know what to do when...when you just...snapped and then the Red Devil came and took you away and Major was dying and..." - Noel says something, but it ends up getting a bit muffled with her face in my chest. Alright, now this is an unexpected turn of events. Just what the hell goes through her head for her to greet me like this? I expected some harsh words and a few gunshots, not...this.

" _Hey, piss off! Only one person can be held in these arms!_ " - Nu yells at the Lieutenant and damn, she's loud.

"Well, things are okay now. You're just fine, I'm still alive and kicking and so is Jin. There's nothing to worry about." - I say, awkwardly wrapping my arms around the blonde. Where the hell did all this shit come from?

I take a quick glance behind me to see Bang giving me a thumbs up with a smile on his scarred face while Lambda is walking toward us. Things might get even more awkward in a few seconds aaaaand would you look at that. Now there's another pair of arms wrapped around us. I knew she was going to repeat my actions. I just hope that ninja won't join us...or his subordinates, for that matter.

" _Lambda, not you too!_... _Ragnaaaa, what did I tell you about letting others touch you?!_ " - the possessive girl asks with anger clear in her voice.

"W-Wait, your arm...how did you...Who is this?" - Noel asks as she breaks out of the awkward hug.

"Existence description: Lambda." - the replica replies, earning a confused look from the other blonde.

"Wait, you can you not know your own sister?" - Bang asks the already confused girl.

"S-Sister? But she's..." - the Lieutenant's voice trails off as she looks at me. Yeah, looks like she figured it out.

"Um, can we save this chit chat for later? I kinda need to see Jin right now. There's something we've gotta talk about." - I ask, totally not trying to weasel out of this situation.

"Major Kisaragi? I...I don't think that's honestly a good idea. He's...um...he's...not in the right state of mind right now?" - Noel replies as she rubs her shoulder.

"You mean like literally any other time? Is he awake or not? That's all that matters." - I ask.

"Miss Noel is speaking the truth, young lady. It appears that our guest is a little...under the weather at the moment. It may not be a good time to pay him a visit." - Bang adds or at least tries to.

"Can you two just tell me what the hell is wrong with him? More so than usual?" - I ask and almost cringe at the sound of my voice. Dear God, I sound too much like Nu when she starts bitching about something.

"W-Well, the last time I saw him, he was acting...strange. He thought I was this "Saya" person and lashed out at me, screaming and yelling at me. I...I've never seen him like this." - Noel replies, obviously not fond of that encounter.

"And we don't know the cause of his delirious state. It couldn't be the medicine used. Perhaps his Nox is at fault here? It's merely speculation, but it's said that these weapons are harmful to their users." - the ninja adds.

...Isn't this just great? As if Jin on his own wasn't enough of a pain in the ass to deal with. I really don't want to see what will happen if he sees 3 girls with the same face as his sister, especially when one of these girls is actually his brother. Now that would be one hell of a mindscrew. I know that I wouldn't take it well if Jin was in this body instead of me.

"So, what you're tellin' me is that I've gotta wait for him to get better so I don't get an ice sword shoved down my throat? Sounds fair to me, but I don't have much time. I'll just press my luck." - Anyway, can this shit wait until I actually go inside? I've been standing here with you in the way for several minutes already." - I say.

"A-Ah, yes!"

Finally, I'm inside this little house and just as I expected, it's nothing unusual. There is an extra room or two here, but aside from that, it's just your average house around here. I think about paying Jin a visit, but then think better of it and sit down on one of the cushions here, with Lambda doing the same thing with a bit of a delay. Trying to talk to Jin in his current state might not end well and I don't want to spend another night tearing out ice and flesh.

"Oh, by the way, there's something I wanted to ask, Miss Noel. Is she really the one who had dealt those injuries?" - Bang asks Noel as they both enter the house.

"Um, yes? Is...something wrong?" - the Lieutenant asks in response, looking at me with both worry and fear clear in her eyes. Bang, on the other hand, simply looks confused.

"Well, from what I've seen her do and from what I've heard about her, I simply couldn't believe that these two are one and the same. How can such a villain save my life - or at least try to as there was no real need to do so, I can assure you of that - when she barely knows me? That is why I came to the conclusion that you must have been mistaken, but now I'm...at a loss for words." - the vigilante replies.

"W-Wait, what happened?" - the now confused girl asks, looking at all three of us.

"This jackass over here tried to punish me for my crimes and then messed up big time when he received an answer he didn't expect. And I call bullshit on that one. There's no way you could have survived that fall." - I reply.

"Isn't that Mister Shishigami's secret technique or something? To fall on his face?" - Noel asks and judging by the look on the ninja's face, it's really not. When did he even have the time to demonstrate this "technique"?

"W-Why, yes, of course! You see, I excel at mind games and my neutral game i-"

A door to one of the extra rooms suddenly slides open, revealing a familiar blonde trying to stand using his Nox's sheath to support himself. Well, so much for waiting for him to get better.


	20. Distant memories

"Ah...Here you are. I've been looking for you, Saya." - Jin mumbles with his eyes focused on me and nothing else in the room. His voice sounds...different. Higher?

"Looking for me?" - I repeat. I don't know where exactly this is going, but I can already say that I'm not gonna like it. It looks like Bang is ready to intervene if something goes right, but he remains silent for now.

"Yeah, I've been looking for you everywhere ever since you ran off. Brother is probably worried for us both right now...but I can't blame anyone for this but myself. I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have said any of that..." - the delirious man replies as he walks towards me...Wait, is he...

"Said...what?" - I ask. Now I'm curious...and extremely uncomfortable when I find myself in Jin's tight embrace, which also means I have to hold him so he doesn't fall onto the floor. For some reasons, Nu doesn't say anything. I expected her to start screaming her head off again.

"I'm sorry, Saya...I promise not to do that ever again." - Jin continues, seemingly unaware of my question as he...strokes my hair...Alright, now I see why Noel is so nervous even if this isn't exactly what she had to deal with. Still, I haven't seen him get this affectionate with Saya. He always was a clingy son of a bitch whenever I was involved, but this...

"...What did you tell me?" - I ask again as I slip out of the blonde's hug.

"I didn't mean any of it. You're not an eyesore or an obstacle to me. You're our sister and we love you...Can you forgive me?" - Jin asks as he moves some of my hair away from my eyes. He...tries to be gentle about it, but in his current state, it ends up being sloppy.

...Now I remember. That day, he threw a hissy fit when I decided to spend some time with her instead of him and said some harsh words, making Saya run off crying. I...didn't know that he actually bothered to apologize to her. She never told me anything about it either.

"I...forgive you." - I reply...None of this feels right. I don't even know if this was her response. I feel like I'm intruding into something personal...well, more so than usual.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, shall we go back? It's getting dark already." - the blonde asks, ruffling my hair with some effort. Thankfully, Nu's hair has the ability to stay as this white...mess and so he doesn't end up ruining anything...Which isn't that much different from my own...Either way, I don't like it.

"I think you shoul-"

"Wait...What...What happened to your eye? And you look so pale...Brother is going to be...Brother..." - Jin mumbles before he starts clutching his head. Now I'm sure that this isn't something from his memories. By the time Saya went blind, she was bedridden and so she couldn't have gone anywhere...I really don't like the look on his face.

"Jin, seriously, yo-"

Suddenly, a pair of hands clasps around my throat and damn, he's pretty strong for someone who's supposedly still recovering.

"...You! I won't let you...take everything from me!" - the blonde asshole shouts hysterically as he tries his best to choke me, completely forgetting about his sword.

"Nu!" - Noel cries out, but judging by the sound that comes soon after, she manages to get her shit together and summon her weapons again.

"I'll handle this!" - Bang declares.

But before any of them can do anything about this, a pair of feet slams into Jin's stomach and sends him flying back into his room...right into Bang's arms? When did he...Whatever. It's probably some ninja bullshit.

"Target threat level has declined. Entering standby." - Lambda says. So she doesn't always need my permission. Not sure if this is a good thing or not.

"Thanks, but you should probably hold back next time. Nice move by the way." - I say as I rub my neck and sit back down on the cushion. I could have simply grabbed Jin's wrists and squeezed until he let me go, but this is fine too. How the hell did he manage to get his hands on my neck with this collar in the way?

"Acknowledged." - the replica says in response.

"So, is this the kind of shit you had to put up with this whole time?" - I ask the other blonde girl in the room.

"A-Ah, no...um, this is the first time it got this bad." - Noel replies. Well, that's great. He just had to do this when I came.

"Our patient is out cold. Fortunately, none of the wounds have been reopened, but...For a human to display such strength...Could it be that...you're also a ninja with years of training? But I've never seen you before and I've never heard of any ninjas outside of Ikaruga...How did you do that?" - Bang asks Lambda as he comes back from Jin's room. Shouldn't he have asked this earlier when I held his ninja ass with no problems until his awful smell reached my nose?

"...Your request cannot be processed." - the replica replies, but it doesn't look like our vigilante understands anything.

"She's saying that she's not gonna answer your question." - I explain...Noel's been giving me an odd look ever since the conflict has been resolved. What does she have on her mind?

"Is that so? I shall not pry any further. Still, I'd like to know who my guest is." - Bang says in response.

"Well, we're leaving soon, so, you're not gonna find out anything more that we haven't already told you." - I say.

"Are you still looking for that...Azure Grimoire?" - Noel asks.

"Yeah and thanks to that red jackass, I've lost a whole week I could have spent searching for it." - I reply. I knew that that Tager guy was going to get in my way somehow, but I didn't expect him to show up and kidnap me while I was distracted.

"Azure Grimoire? That doesn't sound good to me...You wouldn't happen to dabble in the black arts...do you?" - the ninja asks, now clearly on edge.

"I don't even know what the hell that thing is, but no, we're not into that kind of shit. Seriously." - I reply...Didn't Nu use some sort of gravity magic on Rachel before? And all these swords she shoots at people...No, it's not some sort of advanced teleportation magic. She could replicate my metal slab of a sword and there's no way she has enough swords in her stock considering how easily they break.

"You don't know what it is? Then how would you know that you have found it?" - Bang asks and that's a very good question. Come to think of it, I don't have any reason to trust Nu here, but she doesn't have any reason to lie about it either as she could have simply remained silent about it.

"I'll figure it o-"

"Azure Grimoire...Searching...Found: high-density mass of compressed seithr." - Lambda interrupts me. I should have expected her to know about it. She is Nu's copy after all...Wait, seithr? Wasn't that the shit that poisoned Noel? Now I'm not sure if it's actually related to black magic or not.

"Do you know what it looks like?" - I ask the replica. Whatever it is, I still need it.

"Negative." - Lambda replies. So much for that, I guess.

"...Anyway, are you still willing to help me?" - I ask the Lieutenant. All things considered, she's very unlikely to help me after all the shit Nu pulled. Still, it doesn't hurt to try.

"...I...I need to think about it. But first, I must make sure that Major has fully recovered. Until then, I have to stay here." - Noel replies...Alright, this isn't what I expected at all.

"Eh, I can wait. I need something from that asshole too." - I say in response. I'm getting real sick of waiting for others, but I don't have much of a choice here.

" _...Can't you just take them both with you by force? Or drop this act and simply assault NOL?_ " - Nu asks and as always, she's being unreasonable. As it is, I won't be able to handle that if Jin alone gave me so much shit and there's no way in hell I'm gonna let her do the work. She's pretty much guaranteed to start killing everyone even if they have nothing to do with any of this.

"I sa-"

Whatever the hell he wanted to say is interrupted by a monstrous growl that startles everyone in the room except for Lambda. I look around the room in search of the beast...Wait...

"...I think it's high time we have a breakfast. I shall have it made in no time." - Bang declares. So, it was this idiot. Whatever, it's not like I don't want to eat something. I haven't really eaten anything for a while.

"I-I think I should cook you something instead. You've been nice to me, but I've done nothing to pay you back. I feel like this is a good way to repay some of your hospitality." - Noel says with her hand on Bang's relatively massive shoulder.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea! Very well! You may do as you please. Should you require assistance, you are free to ask one of my men. I can't wait to see what you come up with!" - the ninja shouts and it's hurting my ears at this point. I can't even imagine what this whole thing would be like if Nu didn't...do that thing that made all smells vanish.

"I'll do my best!" - Noel exclaims before leaving the room.

...What...What is this feeling?...Is this...fear? But...What am I afraid of? There's really nothing that could threaten me here, but I just...can't shake this feeling off.


	21. Death breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little trivia: the original idea was a one-shot with Terumi and Rachel instead of Ragna and Nu and it was based off an image from deviantArt I stumbled upon at some point. The main difference was that Rachel was never actually a thing and it was just an odd AU Relius and Terumi visited with the help of that one device and not a dream.
> 
> Then it somehow became this.

 

" _Two hundred sixty five swords of Nu in my darling, two hundred sixty five swords of Nu!_ "

It's been at least forty minutes since Noel left and nobody has said anything this whole time.

" _Summon another one and thrust it deep, two hundred sixty six swords of Nu!_ "

Bang looks like he's looking forward to whatever Noel has in store for us and Lambda is just...sitting there with a blank expression on her face.

" _Two hundred sixty six swords of Nu in my darling, two hundred sixty six swords of Nu!_ "

To be fair, I'm not doing anything to break the silence either.

" _Summon another one and thrust it deep, two hundred sixty seven swords of Nu!_ "

Well, "silence" isn't the right word here, but nobody else can hear Nu sing.

" _Two hundred sixty seven swords of Nu in my darling, two hundred sixty seven swords of Nu!_ "

She isn't...bad at singing, but the lyrics are shit and she's getting on my nerves.

" _Summon another one and thrust it deep, two hundred sixty eight swords of Nu!_ "

It's been so long since Nu started singing and she still isn't done with this damn song!

" _Two hundred sixty eight swords of Nu in my darli-_ "

"SHUT! UP!" - I yell at Nu...and then I remember that I'm not alone and now both Bang and Lambda are staring at me.

" _You do know that you could have, like, asked nicely or something? You don't have to be so mean about it. You're also being kinda loud here._ " - Nu points out. I wish I could at least glare at her.

"E-Excuse me? I don't believe I said anything and neither did Miss Lambda. Is everything alright?" - the ninja asks...Alright, might as well ask him something.

"Why did you decide to help Noel? I mean...she's just some stupid girl that needs to grow a backbone, but she's still from NOL. You also could have helped her and only her while letting Jin succumb to his wounds, but you didn't. There's more to this, right?" - I ask the tall man to change topics. Looks like I've succeeded.

"I have already told you the truth. I could tell at first glance that this young lady was no mere Librarian scum. She could have run away, but she stayed and called for help. Therefore, I had no choice but to heed her call." - Bang replies. It does make sense, but I still feel like he's just being soft here. Not that I'm really complaining. I'd rather not have that bastard die.

"Even if it means helping the man who helped ruin your homeland?" - I ask. I certainly wouldn't have made that choice.

"Yes. He will be brought to justice another day. I do wonder why she wanted Jin Kisaragi to live though. She seems almost too kind, but I can tell that this is not a well-crafted guise and her kindness is genuine. Of course, as her sister, you must already be aware of that." - he replies, looking so thoughtful that it's easy to forget about all the stupid shit I've seen him do and say.

"Yeah, I am. She's really stupid about it, but I'd rather have an idiot for a sister than an utter bitch." - I say in response.

"Here you go!" - Noel exclaims as she enters the room carrying a wooden tray with...

...The hell is this shit? Just looking at its blasphemous iridescence makes me think that this loathsome, sordid, quivering mass of antediluvian hatred contained in each bowl will open up terrifying vistas of reality mankind was not meant to peek into and bring ruination upon any fool who dares to take a bite of it...I mean it looks like something that had crawled out of someone's nightmares and decided to stay out of spite alone. Fortunately, I still can't sense any smells, but I bet it would be just as nasty as it looks.

The last time I've encountered something this scary was back when Saya decided to cook something. Even Bang, the one who was so eager to see Noel's dish, and Lambda, who hasn't displayed much emotion before, look distraught now.

" _...Please tell Nu you're not going to eat this...Someone has to throw this thing back into the Boundary._ " - Nu says with a shaky voice as the Lieutenant sets her unholy creation on the table. I don't know what this Boundary thing is, but I think that this shit must be thrown away too.

"This is...U-Uh...W-Well, I suppose that it is...possible that the worse a dish looks, the...the better it...tastes?" - Bang tries to assure himself. The poor guy probably doesn't want to hurt the girl's feelings.

"Scanning...scanning...scanning...scanning complete. Food...unnecessary." - Lambda says as she stares at the beast in her bowl. I'm not sure if she's simply trying to get out of this mess or she's actually serious.

"Um, actually, I-"

"Miss Noel put her heart and soul into cooking this dish...To refuse it would be to dishonor the burning passion of her soul...No! That cannot come to pass! I, Bang Shishigami, will gladly eat this meal! Now! I begin!" - the madman shouts as he picks up his bowl and brings it closer to his mouth. I try to tell him not to eat it, but nothing seems to come out of my mouth...I'm probably overrea-

Suddenly, Bang EXPLODES with a drawn out scream. To my relief, the protector of love and justice doesn't end up getting splattered all over the room and my face in particular and instead remains lying on the floor in one piece. I don't even want to imagine how much time and effort it would take to get rid of his remains and the smell would certainly be disgusting.

"Mister Bang!" - Noel cries out as she runs towards her victim's unconscious body. Once she's close enough, she crouches down and checks for his pulse. Fortunately, it's still there.

"Terminating targets." - the replica says before raising her arm and opening portals above the remaining bowls, which also makes Noel gasp at the familiar sight. Then, as she swings her arm down, three long green swords emerge and...shatter upon impact with the deadly breakfast?! Something tells me this has nothing to do with the quality of her swords.

" _I-Impossible!_ " - the girl in my head exclaims, clearly alarmed by the monstrous meal's durability.

"...No offense, but I ain't eating that shit and neither should you, Noel." - I say. It looks like this isn't the first time this happened, but she still looks sad...and then it's all suddenly gone in a second.

"What is your relation to Major Kisaragi?" - Noel asks with surprising confidence in her voice...I see. Now that Bang is out of the way, she is free to ask me such questions without getting others involved. I really hope she didn't intentionally make her dish so horrible just to knock him out.

"I've got a grudge with him, isn't that obvious?" - I reply, but she shakes her head.

"I know that there's more to this...Saya...You spoke of her and Jin in your sleep before. Who is she? There are no records of such person, but she's obviously important to you both." - the Lieutenant asks...Wait, when did I let that one slip?...Oh, right, I fell asleep in Litchi's clinic and then Noel woke me up. That's probably when she heard it.

"...If you know what's good for you, then forget about it. There's nothing to gain from knowing any of this." - I reply, glaring at her to send a very clear message. That seems to work, something I'm grateful for as there was no way I could have answered her question. If I told her that Saya is my sister, then it would only raise more questions since Jin obviously doesn't know who "Nu" is and forcing Noel to shut up and move on wouldn't help me in the long run.

"I-I'm sorry for intruding...Can you at least tell me who Lambda is? You've never mentioned her before." - she asks and thankfully, it's not related to Saya. It's still a question I'd rather not answer though. Not honestly, that is.

"We're t-"

"Sisters. Triplets." - Lambda herself replies before I can really say anything...Wait, is she...

"T-Triplets? But who's the third one?" - the other blonde asks, growing more uncomfortable when the replica gets too close to her.

"You." - the red-eyed blonde bluntly replies...She actually believes that, doesn't she?...Shit...I should have been more careful about that. She has no reason not to believe my words. It's a good thing that we can't be separated safely or else anyone would be free to tell her whatever bullshit they want her to believe...unless she trusts only me. I hope it's the latter.

"M-M-Me? But I'm...You're...We're not...Um, Nu? W-What's going on?" - Noel asks, now confused and even more uncomfortable.

"Just...Just save yourself the trouble and roll with it. Trust me, you're better off not questioning any of this. Speaking of questioning things, why the hell didn't you abandon that asshole? I've heard enough to say that he treats you like shit and yet here we are." - I ask the Lieutenant in response. It better not be something stupid.

"Oh, um, well, he does treat me unfairly, but...There's someone very dear to me who...who wouldn't take it well if I let him die. If I did, then she..." - the blonde replies, her voice trailing off as she looks away with downcast eyes.

"So you've got a friend, huh? I've heard that someone was head over heels for Jin, so, I guess that's her? Who is she anyway?" - I ask out of curiosity. Jin isn't exactly subtle about his jackassery, so, that girl's gotta be either stupid or straight up insane and neither sounds good to me. He may be an asshole, but he's still my brother and I don't want him to hang out with the wrong crowd.

"Yeah, it's her. Her name is Tsubaki and she's one of my best friends. We studied at the military academy together. She was always so smart and nice to me and Makoto...but then we all had to part ways and we haven't seen each other since then. We still write letters to each other, but...I miss those days...I wonder how they are doing..." - the girl replies with a wistful smile. Military academy, huh? I've heard that not many get the opportunity to study there. It all sounds like a major pain in the ass to me.

"And why does she think he's gonna bother even looking at her?" - I ask, breaking the blonde out of her thoughts.

"Um, they were friends since their childhood and they...Wait...You're not...D-Do you like him too? If so, then I'll let you know that I fully support Tsubaki here!" - N- WHAT?!

" _RAAAAAGNAAAAAA!_ " - Nu shouts so loudly I can't help but wince. I've gotta get out of this mess quickly.

"HOW THE HELL did you come to THIS conclusion?! Didn't I make it VERY clear that I hate his guts?" - I ask, my voice sounding almost hysterical. Just the thought of it makes me want to throw up, but I haven't really eaten anything and so a disgusted look on my face is the best I can do. Surprisingly, it manages to pacify Nu...almost instantly.

"W-Well, I've heard that some people act like they don't like someone when they actually do and so I...Oh, um, what's wrong with Lambda's arm?" - Noel asks as she points at Lambda's right arm, prompting the replica in question to look at her mismatched limb. Someone's obviously trying to change topics to get out of this mess...Whatever, I don't want to deal with that shit.

"It's nothing to worry about...and I think we should do something about Bang. He's not dead, but we should probably wake him up or something." - I reply, pointing at the man in question.

"A-Ah, Mister Bang! I-I'm so sorry!"


	22. Teach me, Nu...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't quite get Nu's third person speech thing. She's very...on and off about it. It's certainly much more frequent in Cross Tag Battle, especially when compared to CT.

I probably should have stayed and helped Noel with her victim, but this was a good opportunity to try something out with nobody to see me seemingly talk to myself. I've done enough to paint myself as a mentally unstable person and I'd rather not add more to the list.

I haven't gone too far away from the house just in case something happens. The backyard is the perfect place for this as it's hidden from the road and it just looks nice. That blossoming tree in particular looks beautiful. Lambda is certainly mesmerized by it. I really didn't want to bring her with me, but I didn't have much of a choice. Still, it's amusing to watch her stare at the flowers and shaking off petals whenever they land on her face. That doesn't help get rid of all the petals in her hair though.

"Alright. Nu, I'll need your help here." - I whisper to the girl in my head.

" _So you've finally decided to give us some alone time? Ah, Ragna! Let's do it right here and right now! How should be go about this? Are we going to use my tools or do you want to do all the work y-_ "

"Okay, that's enough. I'm not talking about...any of that shit." - I interrupt Nu before she can go too far with her usual shtick.

" _Huh? Then what do you want from Nu?_ " - she asks, clearly disappointed by my response.

"I hate to admit it, but swinging my sword and throwing an occasional punch or two ain't gonna help me much if the fight with Jin is anything to go by. If I want to go anywhere with this, I'll have to learn your tricks. Oh, and before you say anything, I'm NOT gonna use them to kill whoever looks at me the wrong way." - I reply. Even with this body's enhanced strength, speed and durability, it's still not enough. Using my old techniques is also harder with all the differences between us.

" _Nu's tricks? You mean, like, summoning swords and using Murakumo? Well, I can teach you that, but it's going to be a bit...difficult."_  - Nu says.

"What do you mean?" - I ask. It does look complicated, but surely it's not that hard to actually do it?

" _I doubt you're capable of the calculations needed to make most of this stuff work and you're still not properly connected to most of the systems. Even if you were, you wouldn't be able to understand half of it as it is...Hm...Oh, I know! This should work! Just give Nu some time to reroute some things here and here. You can do whatever you want in the meantime...You can even let your hands wander if you want to. I don't mind..._ " - the girl replies and, her last suggestion aside, she's right. I'm not sure what exactly she's talking about, but judging by the complete nonsense she says half the time whenever she's not rambling or saying something stupid, I have no reason to doubt her words here.

I guess I can just do some basic exercises until she's done with...whatever she's doing. I've been skipping all of my daily routines ever since I got into this mess. There's not much point to it for now though. This does nothing to help me and Nu's body certainly doesn't need any extra work despite looking like this. I mean it's not flabby or anything, but I can't see any defined muscles here either. It's still weird knowing that this is some kind of a doll, especially after tearing out this flesh with my bare hands. That Relius guy must be a freaking genius. Probably a creepy pervert too if Nu...Yeah, I'd rather not think about it.

Speaking of creepy stuff, I should be more careful in the future. I don't know what exactly that metal abomination he calls his wife is capable of, but if she could defeat the Red Devil...I'd better not encounter her. What is she anyway? I don't think she's another doll like Nu since she looked obviously inhuman with those long arms and metal claws. Then again, she could have a different purpose or be an older creation or something. I certainly wouldn't make a wife that looks like this.

...I wonder how my body's doing right now? The last time I've seen it, it looked fine...even if the coffin it was placed in was a bit...too much. Like, seriously, rabbit? Was a normal bed too much? I mean it could be some super magical coffin that prevents my body from getting messed up, but couldn't she at least make it look less gloomy? I almost lost my shit when I saw all those candles around the open coffin containing my body. Fortunately, Valkenhayn was there and so I simply couldn't say anything bad about it without getting my ass kicked.

" _Aaaaand it's done!_ " - Nu exclaims cheerily .

"Already? That didn't take as long as I thought it would. Now let's start with...Uh...Any suggestions?" - I ask. I'd like to start with sword summoning since that would help me a lot, but I might have to start with something basic.

" _First, wrap your arms around your body._ " - she instructs and I comply...What's the point of this?

"I don't see where we're going with this. Am I missing something?" - I ask...and then I hear her giggling...Oh really?

" _Aw, Ragna, how nice of you! It could have been better, but I'm not complaining._ " - the obnoxious girl cooes with delight, satisfied by this stupid self-hug.

"Nu, now is not the time." - I say through gritted teeth, doing my best not to yell and attract everyone's attention.

" _Killjoy...Um, I guess we can start with gravity manipulation? Gravity Seed is a bit too much for now, so, let's go with...levitation? I've created some shortcuts so you won't have to go through numerous calculations required to make it work. All you have to do now is to think about it!_ " - Nu explains, certainly proud of whatever she has done earlier. Levitation sounds...neat, I guess?

"That's...Can you be a little more specific about it? If thinking about flying is enough, then it ain't working." - I ask in response.

" _Urgh, just think about not falling for now. You know, like, when you want to move your arm except you're trying to move - or stop in this case - your whole body? It's probably going to take a while for it to become just as natural as that since this system is still a work in progress and there's a small delay between the signal being transmitted by you and the end result being redirected to all the systems we need to work, but I know that you can do it! Of course, simply doing that wouldn't get us any visible results, so, try jumping. If you stop in mid-air, then we're good to go, but if you fall, you'll have to try again. Once we're done with that, we'll move on to actual movement. Now get to work!_ " - the girl replies and once again, there's a lot of pointless shit here. She's no Jubei, that's for sure. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. He can be a real asshole about it even if it's always my fault and he's trying to help me.

Alright, let's do this. Can't say that I've done something like this before even if I had my fair share of bullshit in the past, but it sounds manageable. She didn't tell me how high I should jump, so, I'm going to assume that's not important and so I just jump while thinking of stopping myself from falling...It doesn't work.

" _Hm...Keep doing that so I can isolate the signal I need. The more you do this, the more refined this system will become! It might take a few minutes, but you have time to spare, don't you?_ " - Nu asks, obviously referring to all the time I didn't spend searching for the Azure.

"Geez, what a drag."

I keep jumping as instructed for what feels like hours, making a total fool of myself. I'm not some hyper rabbit to hop in place like an idiot. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Lambda would be laughing at me, but she's still sitting under that tree and there's no one who can see me do this. I'm not getting tired or anything, but doing same shit for so long just isn't what I'd call having a good time...well, unless it's something like cooking. I can do that for a while. Maybe I should try that again later? Maybe that dish that set Rachel on fire was just an accident? I haven't done anything different that time and yet THAT happened. How was that possible anyway? I mean Noel's...abomination was certainly worse, but at least its appearance matched its taste.

...I'm getting distracted here. If I want to get this done, then I should focus on stopping in mid-air. I take a deep breath and get rid of all the unnecessary thoughts in my head before jumping again. Now just don't fall...don't fall...don't fall...I'm not falling? It certainly feels weird as I'm not held by anything and yet I'm not touching the ground. Now that I've done it, I let myself fall...well, more like descend slowly. This is certainly convenient. All I need to do it is to think about it. Unfortunately, trying to move around like this doesn't work. Looks like this is all I can do for now.

" _Calibration...complete. Good job, Ragna! Now you should be able to do this without much effort. Still, you'll need to practise this if you want it to be natural..._ " - the girl says.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just move on to other things." - I say in response. I don't know how much time it will take for Bang to regain consciousness and I already have spent more than enough time here.

" _...Hey, Ragna...Don't you want to say...anything?_ " - Nu asks with a whiny voice...I think I know what she wants from me.

"...Alright. Thanks for helping. You're actually useful at times, I'll give you that. Good girl." - I rep- HOLY SHIT! How loud can she get with her damn squeals?!

" _Now let's k-_ "

"NO!" - I interrupt the psycho before she can ruin my mood more than she already...Shit...I really need to stop doing this.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this is a longer chapter.

 

This turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be.

Simply floating in mid-air isn't hard to do, but the thing is that I can't do much else while floating or else I start falling. Nu told me that this happens because I start focusing on something other than levitation and so it stops working. Simply keeping myself floating is also mentally exhausting.

Of course, things got even worse when we got to the next part, which is actual movement. I get the gist of it, but I move so slowly that I'd rather just walk than put up with this shit. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong here or else she would have noticed. Neither of us knows what's the problem here. It's certainly not something about this body as Nu herself could move around just fine during her fight with Rachel.

If flight gives me so much shit, then I'm not looking forward to what comes after it.

"I think we should call it a day. It's getting dark already." - I say. I'm surprised no one has found us yet. If I didn't know any better, I'd be worried for Bang's wellbeing now.

" _That's fine by me. Still, I didn't think you were that bad at multitasking._ " - Nu mumbles in response.

"Hey, I'm only human, you know?" - I retort...and scowl when she starts giggling. That's never a good thing.

" _No, you're not! You're Nu now, remember? And Nu isn't human. You don't have an excuse here, but that's okay! I like you the way you are._ " - the girl says in response. And here was I, thinking that she might actually be tolerable.

"Shut it, will y-"

Something in the corner of my eye draws my attention. It's probably one of those ninjas...but it could also be an unwanted guest. I turn my head to take a better look at whatever it was a- IS THAT A GHOST?! OH GOD IT'S A FREAKING GHOST!

I can't help but scream at the sight of this black thing with a bone-white mask slowly making its way towards the house...and now it's looking at me! Shit, what am I supposed to do about it? This is exactly why I hate those goddamn ghosts! Can't hit 'em, cut 'em, can't do anything!

"Wh...s sh...ing h...?! They d...ell m...hat s...ll b...ere!" - the damn thing screeches with a distorted voice...Wait, is it...is it actually afraid of something? It sounds like that at least. Maybe I can scare it off?

"H-Hey, you! G-G-Get the hell outta here or else...o-or else..." - my voice trails off as I realize that there's nothing I can really do about it.

"Wai...I'm n..." - the ghosts says something before its mass starts shifting...revealing some frail-looking guy underneath a black cloak with a white mask in his hand.

So, this wasn't a ghost after all. Well, this changes everything. I think of smashing his face in before he can pull anything funny, but before I can do anything, Lambda appears near the intruder and grabs him by his collar. For some reasons, he doesn't even try to break free as he is lifted off the ground, but he is visibly tense.

"Thanks. Now tell me who the hell you are and what you're doing here or else I'm gonna shove your stupid glasses where the sun don't shine." - I threaten the young man as I slowly walk towards him. Now that I can take a good look at him, I can see that he's wearing a simple outfit consisting of a blue dress shirt, a black necktie and black trousers under his cloak. He looks like some clerk, not

"I'm Lotte Carmine and I'm here to provide Mister Bang with the medical supplies he needs...I guess this does look very suspicious, but I can assure you that I'm telling you the truth here!" - he replies with a completely normal, if a bit meek, voice. At least he knows who's here. Doesn't make him any less suspicious though.

"Then what's with the get-up? Why would an errand boy pretend to be a...g-ghost?" - I ask this Lotte guy. Now this actually makes him angry.

"I am not an er- I mean this disguise is useful for warding off thieves and remaining unnoticed during the night. It's also used to carry everything I need." - the man replies as he displays the inner side of his cloak, which is lined with the items he mentioned...or at least I think so. They all look exactly the same with no labels on them or anything to tell them apart.

"Nu, what happened?" - I hear Noel ask from somewhere out of my sight, clearly worried about me. This damn eyepatch gives me one hell of a blind zone and so I turn in the direction her voice came from to find her with Bolverk in her hands, which she dismisses once she sees the man held by Lambda. Looks like I either woke her up or stopped her from going to sleep in peace. She's already wearing blue nightwear.

...Wait...Goddamnit, they've heard me, haven't they? At least Bang isn't here. I bet he would start his "Hero of Love and Justice" spiel again...

"Ah, Miss Noel, it's good to see you. Um, can you please tell them to let me go?" - Lotte pleads the newcomer. So, he knows her name too, huh?

"Lambda? Nu? I-It's okay, you can, um, let him go." - the Lieutenant says and Lambda actually complies without a word.

"Tch. I'm not in the mood to beat up some geek anyway. But he's not off the hook just yet, so, I'm gonna keep an eye on him." - I warn, glaring at the man in question.

"Thanks. Now, let's get to work. I brought the medicine you asked for. Did anything happen today?" - the young man asks as he readjusts his necktie despite having no need to do so.

"Y-Yes, but let's go inside first." - Noel replies before both leave the backya-

" _Pfft...HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ragna, you've never told me that you were afraid of ghosts!_ " - Nu bursts out laughing as soon as we're left alone with Lambda.

"S-Shut up! I just...wasn't expecting him, that's all!" - I retort, but that only makes her laugh more.

" _Aw, sweetie, this is just...To think that the one destined to destroy the world and everything in it is afraid of GHOSTS! That's, like, so wrong! And that scream...Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!_ " - she says in response, but it sounds more like she's mocking me than anyth-

"Wait, destroy the world? What the hell are you blabbering about?" - I ask, now more unnerved than annoyed.

" _Ah, it's nothing, really. Didn't you say that you were going to keep an eye on that nerd?_ " - Nu asks and yeah, I did. Whatever, I'll leave this for later.

With a drawn out sigh, I go back inside. Unsurprisingly, Bang is still out, but at least Noel made sure that he won't feel like shit when he wakes up. That futon he's sleeping on looks freakin' great...but that will have to wait. The others are probably in Jin's room right now. Nobody invited me in, but as his brother, I don't feel like I need to ask for permission to enter.

"Alright, what do we have here?" - I ask as I slide the door open and Lotte actually jumps at the sound of my voice. He's awfully jumpy even now and I don't like it. Noel knows him and he knows her, so, he shouldn't be on edge. Looks like Jin's awake right now, but he looks like shit and his eyes aren't focused on anything.

"W-Well, I'm not entirely sure as this usually isn't my area of expertise, but I think think I know what causes this. It's most likely his Nox and a combination of other factors. This isn't just a fever, you know? A Nox Nyctores has a certain level of influence over their user and so I brought some concoction made specifically for this occasion. They are meant to block mental interferences. Normally, it would be enough to protect someone from something like hypnotic suggestion, but a Nox might prove to be too strong to be completely blocked." - the young man replies before pushing his glasses up with his index finger.

"So, what you're saying...is that if Jin drinks this shit, he'll stop going apeshit at a moment's notice?" - I ask in an attempt to summarize whatever the hell this guy said.

"Actually, no, that's not how it works. This is only a temporary solution. But if I could take a closer look at Yukianesa, I could come up with a permanent one..." - he replies, throwing a glance at the sword lying next to that jackass.

" _Someone's not telling the whoooole truth here. He's not going to get anything out of it unless he unsheathes the causality weapon, but it won't let him do that. Even if it does, it will freeze everything in a pretty wide radius, instantly killing everything that gets caught in that icy blast. I mean it doesn't really affect us, but I think we should just kill him to be safe._ " - Nu suggests. What she's saying does make sense...and he's suspicious as hell as it is...

"I-I'm sorry, but we can't let you do that." - Noel says before I can say or do anything stupid.

"...That's...unfortunate. I guess I'll just make something more effective. That will cost you more though. You can also just wait for him to get better, but that might take a while. Are you...Are you sure you can't let me take a look at it?" - the young man asks and almost visibly deflates when Noel shakes her head.

"Handing over a Nox Nyctores to an unaffiliated person is a punishable offense regardless of circumstances." - the Lieutenant says. It sounds stupid...almost like an excuse.

"...Oh well. I should get going in that case. Make sure to follow my instructions and notify me of anything unusual. I'll come back in a few days." - Lotte says as he hands over a few vials to Noel before standing up and leaving the room.

"Who's that guy anyway?" - I ask the green-eyed blonde.

"A-Ah, um, I...don't know? Mister Bang is the one who found and brought him here a few days ago. Apparently he's Miss Litchi's friend or something like that?" - she replies as she carefully pours one of the vials' contents into Jin's mouth.

"...Whatever. Out of sight, out of mind...Man, it's late. Mind showing me where I can get some shut-eye? It's been a busy day for me." - I ask with a rather loud yawn. Noel herself looks pretty tired as well. Lambda is the only one here who doesn't look like she needs rest.

"...Um...Is Bang still out?...This isn't good. You see, uh, we didn't prepare anything for you since, well, I didn't expect you to return and Bang didn't have enough time to do anything before, well, you know..." - Noel's voice trails off as she looks away in shame. Still worried about that, huh?

"Eh, I'll just sleep outside then." - I say as I turn away, but before I can go anywhere, a hand on my shoulder stops me.

"W-Wait, you don't have to do that! We can...We can share my room..." - the blonde offers rather generously. I really want to reject her offer...but I just...can't...If I reject it, she'll feel bad for me and then I'll feel like shit for that. I also don't know how Lambda feels about sleeping in such conditions.

"Urgh, fine. Just stop looking at me like that. Is it really safe to leave him alone though?" - I ask as we leave Jin's room, completely ignoring how Nu starts grumbling.

"I...I think it is?" - she replies, probably without much faith in her words.

Once we enter what's apparently Noel's room, I take a look around and I must say, it's much less barren than the rest of this house. Bang made sure to keep her comfortable here this whole week. There's a closet here too and it's open, revealing the kimono Noel wore earlier along with her uniform. So she was about to go to sleep and not already sleeping when I...Well, that's relieving.

"You're...Do you have anything to change into or?" - the Lieutenant asks.

"Not really. This is actually all we have." - I reply. This surprises Noel, but it looks like she wants to sleep more than pursuing this matter.

...This is...awkward, to say the least. This futon is wide enough for all three of us to fit...for some reasons, but...Goddamnit, why do I always get into this kind of shit? At least Lambda doesn't hesitate to join her "sister", getting real snug in there while I fidget in place like an idiot.

...Screw it, this looks too comfortable to pass up.


	24. Unanswered questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of the previous chapter has been moved here with some changes. The main difference is the dream, which is no longer a CTB reference and more relevant to what's happening.

_Almost nothing but darkness surrounds me with only a bright blue flame in the distance giving me any idea of where I am. With nowhere else to go, I walk forward towards the only source of light in this place. As I come closer to it, I start hearing something all around me. It's faint at first, but eventually it becomes clear enough for me to tell what it is._

_Screams. Bloodcurdling screeches of countless humans which grow louder and louder, forcing me to run just so I don't go deaf from this cacophony of voices. It looks like the blue flame grows brighter with every second in addition to me getting closer to it and yet I feel no need to cover my eyes from its blinding light. It's already within my reach and so I extend my arm towards it..._

_But then it suddenly vanishes and the screams stop to be replaced by what sounds like a music box...I know that tune..._

_"Ragna..."_

_That voice..._

_"Saya?" - I call out into the darkness._

_"Where are you, Ragna?" - my sister asks, but I can't tell where her voice is coming from._

_"I'm right here!" - I shout as I look around, hoping to find her._

_A pair of delicate hands cup my face, making me freeze in place. Something about them feels off. Why are they so cold?_

_"I have finally found you...How long has it been? One year? Two years? Ten years? I don't even remember...But it doesn't matter now. We'll finally see each other after all this time...I promise...I can't wait for our reunion. It will be great! I'll make sure to...What? Out of time? Very well. I'll see you soon...Brother..." - Saya whispers into my ear. I turn to face her and see a pair of glowing red eyes looking back at me, but I can't make out any other details before she turns into thick fog and her hands leave my face._

I groggily open my eyes...eye.

What...was that dream? It felt too...real to be a dream, but it's not a memory either. That certainly was Saya though. I just...know it. What is the meaning of this?

I rub my left eye before taking a look around the room...only to stop when my gaze lands on Noel's haunted eyes. Lambda is also wide awake, but she looks more confused than anything.

"...Uh, what's with that look?" - I ask the poor girl.

"Y...You were...You were talking in your sleep." - the blonde replies.

"I don't remember...What was I talking about?" - I ask. It shouldn't be anything she doesn't already know...unless...unless it wasn't my dream and it wasn't me who was talking...

"Uh...Well...It sounded like you were...having a good time...in bed...with some man named Ragna? I didn't really get much of it at first, but then you started moaning and asked him t-"

"Okay, that's enough! Just stop!" - I almost shout, covering Noel's mouth with my hand to prevent her from making this morning any worse. I really don't wanna know what she thinks of me now. It won't stick with me once everything's done and over with, but I still have to spend some time with her an-

" _Ah, Ragna~! Deeper...Deeper! Yes, that's it! Now twist it!_ " - Nu cries out, apparently still dreaming. I don't know how that works, but that doesn't really matters.

...Damn it, Nu! Why the hell does she have to be so...GAH! Alright, I really need a distraction here. Preparing breakfast sounds good enough. Hopefully I won't mess it up.

"Alright. Lambda, you're coming with me." - I say after freeing myself from the tangled mess that my cape has become. With that done, I get up to leave the room...or at least I try to do so, but then I notice that the replica isn't following me and so I have to stop.

"Warm..." - she mumbles as she burrows herself beneath the covers.

"...Fine, I can wait."

* * *

I guess I'm done here? It doesn't look bad and I'm sure that there should be nothing wrong with its taste or smell either. Just to be safe, I made sure to keep Lambda out of this. There's absolutely no way I could have made a mistake here. I didn't prepare anything fancy after all. It's just some rice, soup and fish.

Unsurprisingly, Bang was already up by the time I found him, seeming no worse for wear after what happened yesterday. He showed me where the kitchen was when asked to do so and provided me with everything I needed. All things considered, he'd be an okay guy in my book if he didn't smell like shit and wasn't so goddamn loud all the freaking time.

But first, I should pay someone a visit. With Jin's portion on a wooden tray, I leave the kitchen and head towards his room.

" _Do you really have to do this? He's been nothing but an obstruction so far. Just leave him be and move on..._ " - Nu whines, clearly not fond of that bastard. Neither am I, but I have good reasons for that.

"I've gotta ask him a few questions, that's all. I'd better do this while I still can." - I whisper in response.

" _Why not talk to Nu instead of him?...Oh...Are you hiding something from me?! Is there something betw-_ "

"Lambda, you should probably stay here. Just don't go anywhere or...you know." - I interrupt the idiot in my head before she can spout more bullshit I don't want to hear or even think about.

With a sigh, I slide open the door to Jin's room and walk inside. It looks like he's already awa- I back away a little just before Yukianesa can cut my head off. Luckily, that bastard quickly doubles over with pain, but he still retains his iron grip on his Nox and so I don't try approaching him again. I don't want to spend another night doing that sh- And now he's coughing up blood!

"Easy there! You're gonna hurt yourself, dumbass!" - I exclaim as I set aside the wooden tray and run towards the blonde idiot to push him back down before he can do anything more stupid. It ends up being more rough than it should be, but he can take it.

"You're the...In the alley..." - Jin mutters, glaring at me as if I'm responsible for the worst crime there is. At least he recognizes me...well, not me, but...Whatever.

"Look, I'm sorry for that. It sort of got out of hand there and it's my fault, but that doesn't mean you can pull shit like this while in someone else's house. At least TRY to have some dignity here. Besides, you're in no condition to fight me." - I say, doing my best not to punch him in the face just to relieve some stress.

"...Dignity? You're a fine one to talk...Where am I?" - the blonde man asks as he sits up again, apparently no longer in the mood to cut me down...at least for now. He's still giving me that look and he looks like he's ready to fight back if needed.

"In Ronin-gai, Kagutsuchi. You can thank Bang Shishigami and Noel Vermillion for that. They saved your sorry ass even after everything you've done to them." - I reply. I'm still baffled by that even if I am thankful for their decision.

"Lieutenant Vermillion? So she's not so useless after all...But why?" - he asks, just as confused about it as I was before.

"Why don't you ask her yourself? Either way, that's not why I'm here. I need answers. Tell me what I want to know or I'm gonna beat it out of you...Why did you abandon us?" - I ask. I can see a bunch of different emotions cross his face until he settles on his usual annoyed expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, scum. Now get lo-"

"Then let me remind you...Many years ago, back in that abandoned church, you left without a warning when we needed you the most! We just...wake up one day and you're gone without a trace! What the hell were you thinking?! Did you just grow tired of us? Couldn't take it anymore? Or was your adoption all planned out from the beginning? What is it, Jin?!" - I yell at the green-eyed bastard. This might be a stupid idea, but all I need here is answers.

"Don't you dare use that voice!...That voice...That face...Who the hell do you think you are?!" - Jin shouts at me in return even as another coughing fit assaults him.

"Answer the damn question!" - I demand, my voice already at its breaking point.

"...I refuse." - the blonde man says with finality after what feels like a good minute or two spent in complete silence. There's no anger in his voice now.

"...Fine. I didn't expect anything more from you. If you don't wanna tell me anything, then I shouldn't force you to do it." - I say with a sigh. I really want to just...tear it all into pieces, but if I don't want to repeat my mistakes, then I shouldn't lose control of myself like this. Now that I think about it, it was unreasonable of me to ask him a question like that without even telling him who I am. As it is, I'm just some asshole who almost killed him and who also looks and sounds so much like his sister it feels like an insult.

"If you are done here, then stop wasting my time and get out of my sight. You're an eyesore." - Jin says with utter disdain clear in his voice.

"I will leave...But first, you need to eat something. I've already prepared breakfast for you and others." - I say in response as I move the wooden tray closer to him. He stares at it for a while, then looks back at me.

"What is this?" - he asks, probably thinking that it's poisoned or something.

"I've already told you, jackass. It's nothin' special, but I made sure not to include any meat here. I know that you can't stomach it. I must say, for someone who doesn't eat something as essential as meat, you don't look half bad. Still pretty thin, but I can see that you've been working out. Too bad you weren't working on your attitude." - I reply, forcing myself to focus on the good things to calm down so I won't smash his face in out of anger and then regret doing it for the rest of my life...even if it would feel satisfying at first.

"...You're a strange one." - the blonde says with a raised eyebrow. He still looks annoyed, but that might be what he looks like all the time. I really wouldn't be surprised.

"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one." - I mutter in response.

"...Who are you? You've never told me your name." - he asks...Oh...right. I haven't even properly introduced myself before almost killing him. That's...pretty bad.

"The name's Nu and that's all you need to know. Now stop staring at your food and eat it." - I reply. I really hope it won't end like the last time with Rachel. I don't think he can put out the fire...then again, his Nox might be able to do it.

"Nu...An odd name for someone who tried to take my life. But you're not the first one who attempted to do so and you will not be the last." - the blonde man says dismissively before he finally complies...I really don't like the look on his face right now.

"Uh...so...How's it?" - I ask...and then he just falls over...Goddamnit! What the hell is the problem here?!...Maybe I should have a taste...Just a little...Hm...I don't see what's wrong with it. The taste's just fine.

" _Is he dead? Did he kick the bucket? Bite the big one? Tell me he is..._ " - Nu asks, certainly hoping for a positive answer.

...I probably shouldn't let others see this...or let them eat the shit I prepared for breakfast.


	25. Distrust?

Alright, now it looks like he's just sleeping...if you ignore the look on his face.

I still don't know what went wrong here. There's nothing unusual about its taste and I'm sure there was nothing wrong with the dish I prepared for Rachel either and yet this happened. It certainly has nothing to do with my skills...or at least I hope so.

Maybe Nu is cursed or something? There are some bizarre curses out there like one that seriously messes with your blood if you are indebted to someone in any way, so, I wouldn't be surprised, but I really doubt there is anyone who has a grudge against Nu. She would probably kill them before they even got the chance to do anything. There are also not many people who can curse someone.

...Whatever. If everything goes right, I won't have to spend more than a few more days in this body. At least now I know that Jin isn't completely apathetic to Saya. He tried to kill "her" in the alley, but when he was about to deal the finishing blow, his voice had a much more...remorseful tone. Then there's what happened yesterday and his outburst today. I still don't have all the answers though. I don't even know how much I can attribute to Yukianesa's influence.

I move the door t-

"Wha-"

I fall and land my back with Noel on top of me...This is...Just gimme a break...Wait, was she...eavesdropping? The only way this could have happened is if she was leaning on the door. There's no other way to explain...this.

" _Someone's been snoopin' around, huh?_ " - Nu says, apparently having come to the same conclusion.

"The hell are you doing here?!" - I ask that stupid girl...I can't see it myself, but I bet my face is now just as red as hers is if not a little more pale due to Nu's skin color...I guess this doesn't look wrong to Lambda if her lack of any reaction is anything to go by. I probably should have asked her to make sure that nobody can hear our conversation. Then again, considering what happened a week ago, others would think that I'm trying to finish what I had started and kill Jin for real this time.

"W-W-Well, I-I've heard you and Major yelling at each other a-and then...um...I-I-I was just worried for you two!" - she replies. Normally, I wouldn't eat up this kind of bullshit, but knowing this idiot, it's probably the truth.

"And what exactly did you hear?" - I ask as I roughly push the damn blonde off me...Okay, this was actually a stupid idea, but fortunately, the replica catches her before Noel's head can hit the floor. I'm not surprised when I hear a certain psycho click her tongue as I stand up.

"I-I've heard only what was said after you had told him to answer your question...Um...I didn't think you'd prepare breakfast for him after...after what happened...That's so nice of you!" - Noel replies and she looks so freaking' happy about it.

"What, you think I'm trying to be nice here? As if. That bastard needs to eat and I sure as hell can't let you do that. Not sure about Bang, but he doesn't look like the type who can cook anything." - I say in response to make sure that she doesn't get any weird ideas. It sours the Lieutenant's mood for a bit, but then her eyes widen and that sad look on her face vanishes.

"Is Major Kisaragi awake? I still haven't reported everything to him!" - Noel asks, but I close the door behind me before she can enter.

"He's still taking a nap! Don't bother him!" - I reply hastily. Damn, I'm not making myself look any better by doing this. It certainly beats letting her see what's inside though.

"I-If you say so..." - the girl mumbles.

"So...have you made up your mind?" - I ask.

"Major is sti-"

"Jin's fine now, nothing to worry about here. You can just leave Bang some notes and let him take care of this." - I interrupt her with a suggestion. I just want to get this done and over with and my patience is wearing thin at this point. It's rude, but screw it, I'm not in a good mood right now.

"Th-That sounds like a good idea, but...I don't think it's safe to leave Bang with him?" - the blonde retorts meekly. She does have a point, but I'm not about to acknowledge that.

"Have you seen him? He looks like he can snap that punk in half. I mean...have you seen those muscles? And he has a Nox too!" - I- Shit, why did I say that?!

"H-He does? But...But that's illegal. Civilians in possession of a Nox Nyctores are to hand them over immediately...Are you sure? Bolverk didn't tell me anything." - Noel asks. Even if she's trying to do her job, she looks conflicted about this whole thing.

"Of course n-"

"Affirmative. Subject is in possession of Phoenix: Rettenjō. Causality weapon status: inactive." - Lambda replies before I can deny everything and I can't help but smack my forehead with my palm...This is the first time I actually want to strangle her.

"Inactive? That explains why it's hard to detect...but then how do you know about it? That's not something Mister Bang would have told you." - the Lieutenant inquires further. If things keep on going like this, this will quickly turn into an interrogation...Maybe it's not too late to offer her breakfast...No, that won't help me at all.

"We just can do that and that's all I'm gonna tell you." - I reply before the replica can reveal more about us. Looks like I'll have to tell her what she can say and what is strictly forbidden. Just to be on the safe side, I get closer to her...I really don't like that thoughtful look on Noel's face.

"...That day...When Major cut your arm off and you...and you just snapped and then all that armor and swords appeared...What was it? I felt something...odd...but I...I don't...Y-You're not going to answer my questions, are you?" - Noel asks and this time, I cover the replica's mouth in time.

"'Course not, you idiot...You really don't wanna know everything, got it? If that's enough for me to lose your trust, then fine, I'll find someone else. One way or another, I'll get what I want." - I reply. This girl and her questions are starting to piss me off. I can see where she's coming from, but that doesn't change a damn thing.

" _You're right, Ragna...The outcome will be the same no matter how you do this. The only real difference is how you do it and how much time it will take! So, why bother being nice? Why not just slaughter everyone who gets in our way starting with this annoying girl? She's been nothing but a nuisance ever since you two met! I know that you want to do it...You're just like me..._ " - Nu says before she bursts out laughing like the madwoman she is. She is completely wrong...Yes, she's insane. That's all there is to it. Her words mean nothing.

"I-I still trust you...If...If you don't want to tell me everything, then it's fine. There's nothing wrong about keeping secrets. It's just...So much has happened recently and...I want to help you, but I also don't want others to be in danger and everything about you is...um..." - the poor girl tries to assure me, but it seems that she doesn't want to upset me. I'm honestly not surprised after everything that happened.

"I get it, there's no need to waste your breath. I'm easy to piss off, prone to violence and to top it all off, I demand so much from you and yet when YOU ask me something, I tell you to get lost. If I were you, I would have abandoned a bitch like this without a second thought. I'm the one who's being unreasonable here." - I say. If I want to get things done right, I'll have to keep my shit together.

"I...didn't mean it like that...W-Well, I mean I wouldn't put it that way, but..." - Noel's voice trails off as she tries to put her thoughts into words...Oh for the love of...

"You really should grow a spine...Alright, how' about this? I show you something I kept hidden and you stop pestering me with these questions for a bit. How's that sound?" - I offer, rather generously all things considered. When she nods, I remove the eyepatch and as soon as I open my right eye, her confused expression changes into a frightened one and she falls on her rear with a yelp. Is it really that bad?

"W-What...What's...What happened to your eye?" - the green-eyed blonde asks.

"Hell if I know. I've never seen it. Care to tell me?" - I ask her in response.

"I-It's all red and...and it's glowing..." - she replies as she stands up. Looks like she got the message clearly as no questions come in spite of everything.

"I don't think that's enough for me to get the whole picture, but that sure does sound nasty. Can we finally move on t...I mean would you be so kind as to inform me of your decision?" - I ask with a strained smile...Oh, right, the eyepatch. With a sigh, I put it back on before focusing on the Lieutenant again. It feels much better this way.

"You don't have to be so...Y-Yes, I will help you." - Noel replies. She probably thought that I was getting angry again when I stopped smiling. Whatever, less time wasted on pointless banter.

"Great! Then we'll get going whenever you're ready. Don't bother packing your things. I really doubt it's gonna take much time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things finally start moving and oh boy, there's a lot of stuff up ahead.


	26. Resume

I'm glad that we can finally get a move on with this thing. I had more than enough distractions at this point and hopefully, there won't be more of them.

Nu's words still bother me for some reason. What she said was total bullshit, but there was something about it that just...I don't know...It just gave me a really bad feeling. The fact that she knew me even before I met her is concerning enough and that's without going into what exactly she thinks of me. It simply doesn't make any sense no matter how I approach it. I doubt I'll get anywhere if I try asking her about it and frankly, I don't wanna talk to her for now. Thankfully, she doesn't say anything either. I guess not receiving any response discourages her from talking unless there's no one around and I can talk to a voice in my head as much as I want.

But first, there's something I've gotta do.

"Hey, Lambda, next time someone asks you somethin', DON'T tell them anything unless I say it's okay, got it?" - I tell the replica.

"Why?" - she asks with a tilt of her head.

"How should I put it...Just don't, okay? Things will get more difficult if others find out something they are better off not knowing." - I reply. I probably could have thought of a better argument.

"Even Noel?" - Lambda asks.

"Even her...Especially her. Don't even bother making shit up on the fly, just don't tell her anything without my approval." - I reply. It doesn't seem to be enough for her.

"I...don't understand." - the blonde mumbles.

"You don't have to understand anything. Just do as I say and we won't get in trouble." - I say and receive a hesitant nod in response.

With that out of the way, all I can do is wait for Noel. I doubt it will take long, but I still have nothing to do...well, almost nothing. I guess I can practice floating a bit more. If everything goes well, this will be a waste of time, but I'm still not sure if that Azure thing will actually help, so, I'd better prepare myself for the worst possible outcome. I should probably try something a bit more complex though.

With a short hop, I suspend myself in the air and then cross my legs as if I'm sitting on the floor...Good, I'm not falling. Resting my head on my hand doesn't make me fall either. This isn't as comfortable as I'd like it to be, but it's already better than it was the first time. Once I'm sure that everything is okay, I lie down on my stomach with my chin resting on my hands. Surprisingly, nothing goes wrong even when I turn around to lie on my back and flail my limbs like an idiot. I take it Nu improved...whatever the hell she did since the last time I practiced with this.

"I'm...Um...What are you doing?" - I hear Noel ask, but instead of landing on the floor and facing her properly, I simply let my head droop. She's already wearing her uniform. That didn't take quite as much time as I thought it would.

"...What did I tell ya?" - I ask with a sigh. Judging by her expression, she catches on real quick.

"Oh, right...A-Anyway, are we sticking to your old plan? I mean...When you came up with it, Lambda wasn't there and...Well, maybe you should think about it some more?" - the Lieutenant suggests.

"Huh? Her presence isn't gonna change anything. You're gonna have one more crook and that's about it...On the second thought, we did run into Jin of all people and I know that he's not supposed to work in Kagustuchi. Are there any other asshole who might show up to ruin everything?" - I ask just to be on the safe side.

"...I think there was supposed to be someone coming to Kagutsuchi, but he's from our intelligence department and he should be too busy to pay any attention to you...I think..." - she replies.

"In other words, there's nothin' for us to worry about? Good. Then all we need to do is pretend to be escorted by you for interrogation or something and once we're inside, you can do whatever you want while we get what we need." - I say.

"...Don't you think that your plan is a little...uh, it's not very well thought out? Do you know where to go? I mean...I won't be able to help you once we get in and they won't let you freely roam around the building." - Noel points out and...yeah, that's actually not a very good idea.

"Then what's your idea, huh? Ask them nicely?" - I ask with a rather annoying tone of voice. It just...happens sometimes.

"...What if...What if instead of being a criminal, you were an NOL officer as well? You'll still have to act quickly, but it will be much safer this way...unless they ask you for identification...B-But I can think of an excuse if needed..." - the Lieutenant suggests.

"And where are we gonna get extra uniforms? It's not like we can just walk in while wearing...this and claim that we work for NOL." - I ask as I roll over to lie on my stomach again. I'd rather not wear that stupid uniform, but if it saves me the trouble of looking for some random library in an unfamiliar territory while beating up whoever gets in the way without killing them, then I can take it.

"I...I didn't think of that...I don't have any other ideas either. I guess we have to follow your plan..." - Noel says in response.

"Then it is settled. Alright, let's not waste any more time." - I say before going into a standing position and letting my feet touch the floor.

With nothing else to discuss, we leave the house and in a matter of minutes, we find the annoyingly loud man exactly where we expected to find him: training in an open area with his merry band of almost indistinguishable subordinates...or at least that's what I think they're doing. As I'm not a ninja, I can't tell what the hell they are supposed to be doing. It's certainly not a physical exercise and that's about it.

"Mister Bang?" - Noel calls out meekly. Somehow, he hears her.

"What is it, Miss Noel?" - the ninja asks as he stands up and starts walking towards us. Others move to follow him, but with a single gesture from their boss, they all go back to whatever they were doing earlier.

"Um, well, we have a favor to ask of you and so, uh...You don't have to do it, but we would really appreciate i-"

"We've got something to take care of, so, we're leaving for a bit and until we're back, you will have to babysit that annoying brat Noel calls her superior. Got it?"" - I interrupt Noel with a much more blunt reply.

"Why, of course! How can I reject such young maidens' request? You can set your minds at ease and leave that man to me!" - Bang exclaims, full of confidence and vigour as usual.

"Great, thanks a lot, Bang. I knew that we could rely on you. Now then, off we go." - I say before turning to leave, but a large hand on my shoulder stops me.

"Before you go, heed my warning. It has come to my attention that a certain individual has been sighted in Kagustuchi. Fortunately, that beast of a man is no threat unless he takes an interest in you, but you should exercise caution nonetheless. Should the worst come to pass, do not try to fight him." - the towering man warns.

"A-And who is this guy you're so worried about?" - I ask nervously. If Bang knows that I had almost killed the so-called "Hero of Ikaruga" and yet he still feels the need to warn me about someone...That thought alone is terrifying.

"The Mad Dog...Azrael." - the ninja re- Oh for the love of...! As if things couldn't get any worse...

"A-Azrael?! B-But what is he doing here?!" - Noel asks, clearly alarmed by the presence of that madman.

"We don't know, but it matters little." - Bang replies.

"...Gimme a break...Alright, thanks for the warning. Let's go, Noel."

* * *

With Jin left in the care of that scruffy ninja, we stride towards our destination. Ronin-gai isn't a very large area and it's thankfully not too far from Kagutsuchi's NOL branch, but we still have to reach the port and that will take some time. Unfortunately, I can't just pick up Noel and run as fast as I can to reach it faster as that would draw too much attention.

So far, we haven't run into that Ignis thing or anything that could get in our way. The locals aren't really paying us any attention either although some do give me a weird look before moving on with their lives. What's more surprising is that Noel still hasn't received any dirty looks and some even greeted her.

"I must say, people are really nice here. For someone who works for the organization that took everything from them, you don't get much shit for it, if any. Am I missing something?" - I ask. I somehow doubt there are no hard feelings and Bang himself admitted that he wants revenge even if he can focus on other things if needed.

"U-Um, it wasn't like this at first. When I had arrived here, they weren't happy about it, but once Mister Bang explained everything, they managed to calm down. He and his men...They say that people shouldn't burden themselves with it and should focus on their lives instead..." - Noel replies and she looks so miserable that I can't help but frown.

"Sorry if I'm sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but...Why did you even join NOL if you dislike violence so much?" - I ask. Now this actually bothers me and, knowing just how shady the Library is, I won't be surprised if she had no choice in this matter.

"...It's not something I want to talk about..." - the Lieutenant replies...Crap, I've gotta cheer her up somehow or else it will gnaw at me for the whole trip, but I don't know how to do that...Or maybe...

"Your friends...You've already told me about...eh...Tubaki, was it? Oh, wait, no, it was Tsubaki...Either way, what about the others?" - I ask and almost instantly, the girl's eyes light up. I'll take listening to some cutesy crap over walking in gloomy silence...and I'm also kinda curious about it.

"Ah, well, aside from Tsubaki, there's Makoto. She is really nice too, always full of energy and very good at talking to people even if she gets a bit carried away at times with...um...A-Anyway, she never was good at studying, but her physical abilities are great and back at the academy, we couldn't even keep up with her. She also has a nice bushy tail and loves to eat. Makoto wasn't always like this though. When we first met, she...She wasn't nice at all and tried her best to keep us away from her, but me and Tsubaki helped her grow past that and we've been together ever since...or at least we were together until we had to go on our own ways..." - Noel replies, her mood going from cheerful to shit again.

"She doesn't sound half bad." - I say in response. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why she was on edge before meeting Noel and Tsubaki.

"She's really amazing...They both are...and they are my only close friends..." - the poor girl mumbles...Dear God, can she make this any worse?

"Friends...What are those?" - Lambda asks, surprising Noel enough to make her stumble.

"You...You don't know what friends are?" - the other blonde asks as she recovers. Her surprised look is quickly replaced with confusion when the replica shakes her head.

"Uh, I think you should handle this. I'm not really good at explaining this kind of shit and I'm sure that you know more about this than me." - I tell the Lieutenant. As someone who doesn't have any real friends, I really can't answer this question.

"Hm...How should I put it...I don't think you can really say what friends are, but I'll try...I guess friends are people who take you for who you are and stick with you through thick and thin. They are those with whom you feel safe even when telling your most embarrassing secrets...people you can have fun with...those who help you during your worst days and make the pain go away when it hurts...It's not easy to say what friends are...You just know it." - Noel replies. A bit too sentimental for me, but I'm not gonna tell her that she's wrong.

"...Acknowledged. Updating records..." - the red-eyed blonde mutters with a contemplative look on her face.

"Is...Is she always like this?" - Noel asks me, clearly worried about the replica. I would be worried too if I didn't know what she is and why she doesn't know such simple things.

"Yeah, you just get used to it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mai and Kajun aren't mentioned because they did not attend the academy here or at least not under the same circumstances in the former's case.
> 
> Also, I already have the general idea of how Azrael fights here beyond "he punch, he kick, but most importantly, he UNGA" stuff and I still don't even know when exactly he's going to appear.


	27. Long time, no see?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, they are definitely luckier here than in BB and yes, she does have at least one voiced line in CT.

 

At last, we're at the port.

Even though we're not in the town just yet, there's already a huge improvement compared to Orient Town and Ronin-gai. That giant clock alone makes it obvious. Jubei told me about how it operates on water and weights or some shit, but he also said that it's not as reliable as it might look. I guess it's really useful if you want to get the general idea of what time it is, but it's useless for someone like me. Other buildings I can see from here are certainly much bigger and better maintained than in other areas of Kagutsuchi. However, the port itself is still under construction. It's already in use, but there's a lot of exposed framework here.

"Man, it's really crowded here. Maybe coming here later would have been a better idea..." - I mutter. People here are also different and I'm not talking about all the beastkin and...whatever the hell some of these guys are. Either way, they are overall better dressed here. It goes without saying that the common folk doesn't have much of a reason to come here.

"I-It is..." - Noel agrees. It looks like she's not comfortable among such large crowds. Judging by the stories she told me on our way here, she never was good at talking to people.

"...Say, does NOL have anything planned for the near future? Like, y'know, some big event they all have to attend or somethn'? So far, I haven't seen any of your comrades." - I ask. Usually, this place is guarded well, but that's not the case today and I really don't like it.

"I don't think so? We're usually told about that weeks in advance...but even then, some of us remain at their posts." - the Lieutenant replies, clearly just as suspicious of this whole thing as I am.

" _Not sure if it has anything to do with what you're talking about, but there is something unusual here...I think it's a Nox, but there's something off about it. Be careful, Ragna..._ " - Nu warns, finally speaking up after hours of silence. Great. Now all we need is Azrael jumping our asses with Ignis in tow and we'll have a total shitshow on our hands.

What the hell is that madman doing here anyway?...Could it be something related to that forest again? There were all those corpses and Noel was in a rough condition when I found her, so, maybe he's trying to find whatever was responsible to...uh..."devour" it? Everyone knows that this is all he really cares about and I'm fine with it as long as he doesn't decide to go after me. If that somehow happens, I'll let Nu handle it without a second thought. There's no way in hell I'm gonna deal with that shit when I can't use this body properly...I wonder how strong she is in comparison with that bastard...

...Whatever. If we get to our destination quickly, we won't have to worry about any of this. I can just barely see that ornate-looking building in the distance. It shouldn't take us long to reach it if we avoid taking any detours and everything goes well. Of course, I doubt that everything will go smoothly at this point...We'll probably have to take a break though. Noel is getting tired already and she can barely keep up with me and Lambda.

"Ah, greetings, Miss Noel. It's good to see you again."

I turn towards the source of the voice to find some boy standing behind us. Aside from his large glasses and blue eyes, his most prominent feature is his large hat that matches his purple cape and shorts. He sounds and looks like he's around 14 or somethin'. Still, he looks too much like a rich kid...an odd rich kid to be walking around with no one to accompany him.

" _Urgh, what now?!_ " - Nu whines and I can't say that I'm pleased with this either.

"U-Um, hi...Do I know you?" - Noel asks the blonde boy. He knows her name, but she doesn't know him? The hell?

"Your confusion is understandable. After all, we've rarely seen each other at the academy." - the boy says before removing his hat and bowing politely. As soon as he does that, Noel's eyes widen.

"C-Carl? What are you doing here?" - the Lieutenant asks. It's really hard to resist the urge to just yell at that brat and drag this idiot away with me.

"You see, we're looking for someone. To be precise, we're looking for our parents. They...They've gone missing recently and no word has come from NOL regarding their absence. To my knowledge, they were both supposed to retrieve something here, in Kagutsuchi, but neither has returned." - Carl replies, making the green-eyed blonde's mood plummet like a rock underwater.

"That's unfortunate...I...I wish I could help you, but..." - the girl's voice trails off as she averts her eyes.

"Oh, but I do believe that you can help me. Tell me...Would you happen to know more about this situation, Miss Noel?" - the boy asks. Noel looks like she really wants to tell him something, but at the same time she can't and it's tearing her apart...Alright, now it's time for me to butt in.

" _Just punt the runt and get a move on!_ " - the voice in my head shouts. Sounds like a good idea, but I'd rather not do it.

"Hey, squirt, why don't you find someone else to bother?" - I ask once I get close enough to him. He looks rather surprised and I don't even have to ask why.

"...I didn't know that you had siblings, Miss Noel..." - Carl says, looking at all three of us with scrutinizing eyes.

"E-Eh? Ah, they're not really...Um, I guess I should introduce them...This is Nu and this is Lambda." - Noel says in response.

"In that case, I must introduce myself as well. My name is Carl Clover, pleased to make your acquaintance" - the boy introduces himself with a bow...Carl Clover...something about it sounds familiar...

"Carl Clover...Are yo-"

"Get away from him!"

I quickly grab Noel by her waist and jump back before something lands right in front of Carl, kicking up a cloud of dust and scaring away most of the people surrounding us. In a few seconds, the dust settles, revealing a tall girl with long blond hair and blue eyes wearing a navy blue dress with vertical light blue stripes and a white cravat with a purple jewel in its center. The girl looks angry...and scared? Either way, I don't like the way she's glaring at me.

"S-Sis? What's wrong?" - Carl asks the newcomer, who is apparently his sister? They do look similar.

"This...thing...It's dangerous..." - the tall girl replies without turning to look at her broth- Dangerous? How the hell did she come to this conclusion?!

"A-Ada? W-What are you doing?" - Noel asks.

"Miss Noel! You're in danger as well! Get away from it right now!" - Ada shouts, but Noel still doesn't budge. This girl's voice sounds a lot like Litchi's.

"W-What? I...I don't know what you're talking about...This must be some sort of a misunderstanding..." - the Lieutenant mutters.

" _Target in possession of Nox Nyctores Deus Machina: Nirvana...Oh...Now that's interesting...The causality weapon has been integrated into her body..._ " - Nu says...Wait, what?!...Now I see it. Ada's hands are made of metal. I can't see any other differences at the moment, but after seeing her dramatic entrance, I can say for sure that she's not entirely human...Was she created just like Nu or was she born like any normal human? I'm still not sure whether Relius' wife and these annoying brats' mother is actually a human or not.

...Either way, that doesn't explain why she's freaking out like this. She's clearly concerned for her brother and even Noel despite being scared shitless, but aside from looking like she needs some rest and sunlight, Nu doesn't look that scary and she's not paying much attention to Lambda.

"I don't think I understand what's going on, but if you're saying that this girl is dangerous...Let's go, Sis!" - Carl says, now certainly ready to fight...Looks like I don't have a choice...

"Geez, what a drag...Alright, just remember that you asked for this...Nu..." - I mumble before relaxing a bit to let Nu make a sword for me again. As soon as a portal appears and a familiar handle emerges from it, I grip it and pull the whole thing out with needless flourish.

"Please don't fight!" - Noel pleads, probably still thinking that this can be resolved peacefully.

"Does it look like either one of them is going to back down? If you want to, you can just stand here and watch. Lambda, you'll handle that boy while I take care of his sister. Assist me if you deem it necessary." - I instruct the replica and receive a nod in response. Hopefully everything will go well this time.

"Acknowledged. Commencing target annihilation."


	28. Marionette Purple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While it's not described in full detail, things do get messy here.  
> Ada here is just as tall as Nirvana, but it's not natural.

 

The first one to attack is Ada and damn, she's strong!

With more effort than I'd like, I push the much taller girl away, but she recovers before I can capitalize on it and takes another wild swing aimed at my head. Fortunately, she puts too much force into it, leaving herself open to a leg sweep...which only makes her stumble instead of knocking her down, leaving me barely enough time to dodge a stomp that shatters the ground under her foot. I'm surprised she didn't snap her hee-

Something yanks my hair and it's just as painful as I thought it was. When I turn to look at whatever piece of shit did that, I see what looks like a small deformed knight with golden hair.

"You little shit!"

Before the little knight can run away, I cut it's legs off with a single swing and crush the rest of it with my foot. Looks like Lambda has a hard time keeping Carl occupied. He weaves through her swords with ease, but he still can't get close enough to help hi- Shit, I've gotta stay focused!

I quickly turn around to block Ada's spinning left hand. Keeping this up isn't a good idea as I can already see sparks flying off, but if I try to swat her arm away, I'll leave myself open for a punch.

"Lambda!"

As soon as I call her name, a portal appears under the tall blonde's right foot. In a second, a large circular blade emerges and starts rapidly spinning, easily shredding everything below Ada's knee and forcing her to jump away, which makes her fall on her rear from the lack of proper footing. To my relief, no blood came out and despite losing half of her leg, the girl merely yelped in surprise. Alright, now it's time to end this...

"Sis, hang in there!"

Something slides along the ground towards the fallen girl and grabs her damaged leg before I can do anything about it...Clever boy. This golden knight is just big enough to replace the missing part of her leg. This wouldn't work if his sister wasn't this human-Nox amalgamation. Whatever, this means nothin'.

"Thanks, your help is appreciated."

Ada stands up with some difficulty and almost immediately dashes towards me. As soon as she gets close enough, she throws a series of punches, but each one is blocked with my sword...which is already getting worn out. While she is shit at fighting, her sheer strength makes up for it just fine...or at least that would be the case if this body wasn't this strong and durable. For anyone else, simply blocking any of her attacks would have broken their bones, but this isn't a problem for me.

Instead of blocking yet another punch, I dodge it and launch Ada into the air with an uppercut to her chin before sending her crashing into the ground a jumping overhead punch to her chest with enough force to make her bounce high enough for me to follow up with a roundhouse kick...but even this doesn't make her stop. In a matter of seconds, she's back on her feet.

"You sure you wanna keep this up? I won't ask again, so, you'd better give up now or prepare to get your ass kicked thoroughly." - I suggest. I'd rather not waste any time, especially if it means that I have to beat up some brat and his sister.

"Please stop! There's no need for any of this! We can just...We can settle things without resorting to violence!" - Noel pleads.

"This...thing is...I...I can't let it live..." - Ada says in response. Well then, back to the fight.

Without a warning, dozens of portals appear all around Ada and in an instant, an equal amount of green swords fly out. Before any of them can reach her, the tall girl claps her hands, creating a blue shockwave that shatters the projectiles aimed at her. I run towa- Where did she go?!

"I'm sorry, but I must do this..."

I quickly turn around to locate the source of the voice to find Ada stand right in front of Lambda. Damn it, I'm an idiot! I dash towa- I'm getting real sick of these damn knights! With them in my way, I can't stop the towering girl in time from delivering a gut punch to the replica's stomach, making her double with pain. By the time I cut these metal bastards into pieces, Ada knocks the poor girl down with a devastating double hammer fist strike to her back.

"Lambda!"

"You bitch!"

That damn girl throws Lambda at Noel, who easily catches her. It looks like she's still breathing, but that doesn't make it any better.

" _Wow, she's totally worthless. Good riddance, I guess._ " - Nu says in a mocking voice, pissing me off even more.

"Thanks, Sis. Now then..."

Those bastards...Whatever, I'll beat the crap out of them just fine.

Ada makes some weird spinning motion with her arms, creating a ball of energy that flies towards me, but I cut it down with ease. It gives Carl more time to do his stupid flying boy shit, but he still keeps a certain distance away from me. I really doubt he's as durable as his sister, who is also running towards me. I swing my sw-

Another one of those damn knights yanks my legs, making me lose f-

" _...Rebooting..._ "

By the time I recover, I'm very high in the air and spinning out of control towards the ground. Dear God, that uppercut really hurt, but now's not the time to panic. If I don't do this right, I'll break quite a lot of bones. With that in mind, I gradually slow my descent down until I completely stop mere inches away from the ground. With that out of the way, I land on the grou-

"Get lost!"

I knock the damn brat away with the flat of my sword before he can pull anything else out of nowhere...Geez, he looks like a skipping stone here. Well, at least he's no longer getting in the way.

"Carl! How dare you..."

Okay, now she's pissed off, which certainly isn't gonna help her with her horrible fighting skil-

Ada's fingers suddenly grow at least twenty times longer, forcing me to block them with my sword. Crap, it's gonna break soon if I don't end this fight quickly and I can't ask Nu for a new one or else she will take over. It's all or nothing, then. I jump towards the towering blonde with my swords positioned for a downward swing aimed at her head, making it telegraphed as hell. As inexperienced as she is, Ada sees the opportunity to kill me and capitalizes on it...but I stop moving before she can crush me with a clap of her hands.

"Gotcha, dumbass!"

I reposition my sword and let myself fall. Before she can retaliate, I swing my sword right through her torso...Wait...It cuts through the fabric of her dress, but it meets no resistan-

"Nu!"

Sharp metal fingers clasp around my throat an- Shit, I dropped my sword! I try to make her lose her grip on me by squeezing her arm, but it's surprisingly durable and Ada only tightens her grip.

" _What are you doing?! Just let me out and I'll kill her!_ " - Nu yells at me and as much as I want to finish this, I can't let her do it.

I can already feel and hear whatever metal Ada's arm is made of cave in under pressure and it seems like her grip on me is getting looser, but it's too slow to my liking and so I swing my legs to kick her. That manages to make her stumble for a bit, but she doesn't let me go. Once she recovers, she r-

" _Major damage...Shutting down..._ "

* * *

" _...Loading...Loading...Loading...Complete._ "

The first thing I notice when I regain my consciousness is that I'm lying in something warm, wet and sticky and everything below my mouth is also covered in it. I open my eyes and finally realize what happened.

I died. Messily. The shit I'm lying in? My own blood. It's a big foggy, but I do know that that bitch tore my throat out. Speaking of her, she's standing a few feet away from me with half of her dress and her hands stained with blood. The expression on her face is one of shock and fear and I have a pretty good idea of why. I already look like some undead thing and now this happens. I've gotta thank Nu for that whole life link thing.

"It's...still alive?!" - Ada mutters, taking a few steps back with a noticeable limp.

"N-Nu? Y-You're..."

I turn my head to look at Noel, who's now backing away from me...Yeah, I'll have to explain this to her at some point, but it can wait. With some effort, I stand up...or at least try to, but it's very hard to keep myself balanced and so I end up wobbling all over the place. One unsteady step after another, I approach Ada, who throws a quick glance at her still unconscious brother. She somehow regains her bearings and gets ready to attack me again. She does flinch when I try to straighten myself with questionable results and yet she still stands her ground.

But before Ada can attack me, I tackle her, grab her head and then jump into the water. Once we're both submerged, I thrash her around like a ragdoll before throwing her back onto the land. A few seconds later, I jump out of the wat- Ow! I really shouldn't have done this when my body still feels a little numb. Maybe then I wouldn't have ended up landing face-first...Anyway, with that done, I try to dry myself off...Eh, this should do. At least I won't have to walk around in bloodstained clothes...

"I...I don't understand..." - the towering blonde mumbles, looking at nothing in particular. Looks like the metal knight that used to replace half of her leg got lost at some point during our little bath.

"Oh, you think you're lost here? Then how about telling me why the hell you just went apeshit here?" - I ask the girl with an annoyed tone of voice.


	29. Two dolls have a chat

"Let me get this straight: you brutally murdered a sick-looking girl...based on a gut feeling?"

"...It does sound horrible when you put it that way, but I can assure you that this is more than just a gut feeling."

If Nu didn't tell me what exactly she was, I wouldn't believe her words. Nirvana, which was somehow merged with her, sensed something in Nu and freaked out and that made Ada attack me. What I don't understand is why I become her target. She was completely fine with ignoring Lambda until the replica got in her way, so, it's safe to assume that it's something about Nu, but what exactly is it? Ada's vivid descriptions of the fear she feels in my presence make me think that it's gotta be something I can't just overlook, but the only thing she knows for sure is that it has nothing to do with the killing intent she feels coming from Nu, which is just straight up terrifying considering how much she hates almost everything. Not knowing what's wrong here is both unnerving and frustrating, to say the least...and it's probably exactly how Noel feels about me withholding so much information.

Well, at least Ada is no longer trying to kill me. It took me some effort to convince her that I mean no harm, especially when the owner of this body doesn't share this sentiment and doesn't even try hiding it, but at least she bothered to listen to me. I guess she realized that I can't be THAT dangerous if I simply tackled her into the water instead of tearing her head off as soon as I got close enough to grab her head.

"...Look, I believe you, I really do...but you're still on my shitlist. That...wasn't a pleasant experience." - I say as I rub my neck. Fortunately, it's all healed with nothing to remind me of the gruesome mess that was here just a few minutes ago.

"Once again, I apologize...I just..." - Ada's voice trails off as she turns her head to look at her brother who is currently being attended to by Noel along with Lambda. Both are still unconscious, but neither is in any danger.

"I get it, alright? Family and all that. I would have done the same if my family was involved. Still, I've gotta hand it to you: you've got guts to fight something that seems so terrifying to you." - I say, earning a...confused look from the blonde?

"Guts? What guts? I don't have any. See?" - she says in response, parting the cut on her dress I made earlier to reveal...literally nothing inside aside from her metal spine. It does explain why my sword passed through her, but...

"T-This isn't something to joke about!" - I yell at the girl who is doing her best to stifle her giggles.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help it...Nu, was it? Can you do me a favor?" - Ada asks.

"Sure. Just don't ask for anything stupid." - I reply.

"Can you...Can you carry me over there?" - the girl asks, pointing in Carl's direction.

"Huh? Why? - I ask in response, earning a flat look from the blonde.

"I'm...not in any condition to walk." - Ada replies, wiggling the remains of her right leg for emphasis...Yeah, it looks pretty rough here...

" _I'm sure that she can crawl over there just fine without having to hog your attention like this. Leave her here and just...get moving!_ " - Nu commands in her wining tone as usual.

"Right, right...Wouldn't it be easier to bring that pips- I mean Carl here?" - I ask.

"I don't want to disturb him...But I can't leave him unprotected either. Please, this is all I'm asking for." - she pleads with those damn blue eyes...Sometimes, it feels like there's some place where girls are taught how to do this stupid shit or it's just something they can do their whole lives.

With a sigh, I lower myself to pick up the much taller girl, sliding one arm under her legs and the other under her back before lifting her off the ground and damn, she's heavy. I still don't have much trouble carrying her body, but I can tell that she's much heavier than Noel and even my own body. How much of it is still Ada's own flesh and bones anyway? Her arms, one of which is now badly warped around her wrist, are certainly not hers and it's safe to assume that the same goes for everything below her chest, but what about the rest of her? I'm kinda curious about it, but it seems like I'd be intruding into something that's probably none of my business. Besides, she has yet to ask me about what the hell I am, so, I ain't gonna ask anything like that either. But there is something I'll ask.

"Are you really...okay with this?" - I ask the girl.

"I...I wouldn't say that I have no complaints about this, but...Yes, I am. If this ensures Carl's safety, then I do not mind it." - Ada replies. I'd probably go through a lot of shit to ensure my family's safety too.

"That's admirable, if not a little concerning. But if you really want to protect him, then you've gotta learn how to fight. You can't just flail your limbs like this and expect it to work. Sure, you've got nothing to worry about if you're facing some random thugs, but anyone with half a brain and some training is gonna beat ya in a fight. Got it?" - I tell the blonde who appears to be listening to every word.

"...I see. Thank you for your advice. I'll keep it in mind, Miss N-"

"Just Nu. No Miss or any of that shit!" - I interrupt her rather rudely.

"I apologize...again."

...I probably look really dumb while carrying a girl much taller than I am. Fortunately, nobody is here aside from us...for now. They will all come back later and they will probably have that Library scum come here as well. We've gotta make this quick. I don't think there's any harm in leaving these two here, but I might get in some deep shit for causing so much ruckus. Not too sure about Noel here though. The fact that she was here and yet she did nothing to stop our fight certainly won't sit well with them, but maybe she can come up with some excuse for it?

"Is...Is everything alright now?" - Noel asks as we approach her.

"Yes, everything has been cleared up, Miss Noel. Once again, I apologize for my rash actions. It was uncouth of me to attack Miss Nu like this, let alone kill her in such a brutish manner." - Ada apologizes, but apparently she forgot what I've told her just a few minutes ago and so I unceremoniously drop her onto the ground near Carl. To her credit, a yelp of surprise is all that comes out of her mouth and not a bunch of curses. Still, I hope that she will actually take my words to heart...if she has one.

"I've told you not to call me "Miss Nu"." - I remind the stupid girl.

"N-Nu! You can't just do...this!" - the other blonde scolds me, but all she gets from me is an annoyed look.

"I-It's okay. I didn't really feel anything. Is Carl alright?" - Ada asks Noel.

"Yes, there's nothing to worry about. He'll be unconscious for a few hours, but that's about it." - the Lieutenant replies, receiving a relieved sigh from the boy's sister.

...I'd like to leave these two idiots here and move on, but there is something I feel like I should ask.

"So, you two were looking for your parents before running into us, right?" - I ask Ada. I remember Carl asking about them before this turned into a huge mess.

"That is correct." - she replies.

"Are you Relius and Ignis Clover's children?" - I ask.

"Why, yes, we are...Where are you going with this? Have you seen them? If so, please inform us of their whereabouts!" - the towering blonde pleads with a hopeful look in her eyes. So I was right.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know where they are. However, I did run into Ignis a few days ago and she was fine if you're worried about that." - I say in response and geez, she almost visibly deflates. Noel looks at me with a raised eyebrow, but she doesn't say anything.

"That is...unfortunate...but at the very least, I now know that they are safe. I wonder why they still haven't told us anything? Could it be something so important that they have simply forgotten about it? Father does have a tendency to get absorbed in his work and Mother being an enabler in such affairs certainly doesn't do him any good." - Ada mumbles, more to herself than us.

"Well, I've gotta say, your father must be a freakin' genius if he can make dolls that are so human that it's almost impossible to tell the difference." - I say. What I don't say is that this Relius guy has an ill mind, to put it mildly.

"...What...are you talking about?" - Ada asks with a confused expression on her face.

"What do you mean? Did he not tell you about any of it?" - I ask in response.

"He didn't, but he never hides anything from us. He had never even tried to create anything of this sort. Do you have any basis for such claims?" - th-

" _No! She's lying! The Architect...He is the creator of multiple dimensional boundary interface prime field devices...including Nu...She must have been kept in the dark about it...But...Internal error detected...Searching for cause of error...Outdated database? No...Error...Error...Error..._ " - Nu interrupts my thoughts...rather loudly before she starts chanting some odd mantra. I can already feel a headache coming on, but it's too sudden for it to be anything normal. Still, I can't dwell on this for too long.

"...Whatever, just forget about it." - I finally reply as I pick up Lambda's unconscious body. If she doesn't recognize this body, then what she's saying must the truth. The problem is that it conflicts with what that Kokonoe chick said and Nu believes that Relius is her creator as well. The doll herself is certainly not wrong about this whole thing. Ada most likely doesn't know everything.

"...Very well. But before you go, there is something I want to ask you, Miss Noel. What are you doing here? I know that you do not work in Kagutsuchi's branch, but if you're on an assignment here, then why are you accompanied by civilians?" - Ada ask the Lieutenant.

"U-Um, I do have a task to complete here, but I'm just...I'm just helping them, that's all." - Noel replies, thankfully without saying anything stupid.

"Is that so? Good luck, then. Please, take care of yourselves. Hopefully we will meet again under...uh, more favorable circumstances?" - the wounded blonde awkwardly sends us off before she starts humming something while carefully running her hand through Carl's hair.

...Something about this...It brings back memories of the days long past...The days I hold dear even now...Why did it all have to end? Why did it have to end like this? Why did she have to die?

"Nu? You're...Is everything alr-"

"Just shut up and keep moving..."

...

...

...


	30. Ataraxia

 

The Library spared no expense here, that's for sure.

The lush gardens near Kagutsuchi's NOL branch have always been exceptionally beautiful even if they show signs of neglect. Due to their placement, they are often called the hanging gardens. Of course, not many come here as there's not much of a reason for anyone to be here in the first place. NOL's presence certainly doesn't help it. Still, I wouldn't mind resting here for a while. Those fighting demon and angel statues are a bit tacky, but eh, they aren't getting in the way or anything.

The two blondes that accompany me are certainly captivated by the beauty of this place. Unfortunately, it also means that Lambda, who has regained her consciousness shortly after we left Clovers, has to stop from time to time to get a closer look at things and it's sort of...slowing everything down to a crawl, but I don't want to yell at her to stop doing that. It would sour my mood even more and it's already shitty enough as it is. Still, I'm glad to know that Ada didn't break any bones or...worse. It's clear that she intended to kill me and me alone. I'm not sure if Noel would have survived if she interfered though. Lambda is Nu's replica and I know very well know hard it is to kill that girl, but Noel is only human...as far as I know.

" _The Azure..._ "

I immediately stop in my tracks as soon as I hear the familiar voice utter something other than her annoying mantra...and then I turn my head to look at Lambda when I realize that she said the same thing in unison, prompting Noel to stop as well.

"H-Huh? Did you say something?" - Noel asks the replica.

"Target is within range." - Lambda says, pointing at the large building in the distance. She looks visibly tense for some reasons.

" _Yes! We're getting closer! I can feel it...the Azure...Azure Azure AZURE!_ " - Nu shouts, her voice filled with childlike excitement...and a little bit of madness.

Honestly, I can't blame her for getting so excited...even if I still don't understand why she would be so happy about us getting separated again. Either way, I'm certainly glad to know that we're actually close to the real thing rather than just a possible source of information on this Grimoire. I've spent way too much time in this damn half-pint body and I'm eager to get rid of it. Once I get this Azure Grimoire, I'll no longer have to pull random bullshit out of my ass to look less suspicious and I won't have to put up with Nu's shit either...

...Which reminds me...What the hell am I gonna do about her? With the whole life link thing doing its work, there's no way to kill her on my own. Even if I try to somehow kill us both at the same time, there's no guarantee that she won't survive it. I mean...she can just regrow her missing body parts like nobody's business. It will go nowhere quickly. The only solution I can think of is to try looking for weapons that bypass this kind of bullshit, but most of those are kept safe within the Library's vaults or they already have their users who aren't gonna just give me their little trinkets. Simply handing her over to them is also a stupid idea when she doesn't even need to get close to kill someone.

But even if that is sure to become a huge pain in the ass, at least I'll deal with it in my own body with nobody bitching and screaming in my head like some spoiled brat. Hell, it's not like I HAVE to deal with Nu. I could just run away and leave her for others to deal with. I'm not a damn babysitter. I'll just go back to doing things my way when I want to and where I want to. The first thing I'll do is cook something that's actually edible...or punch that whiny-ass brat in his pretty face. Technically, I've already done that, but this time, I'll be myself when my fist connects with his stupid mug. Anyway, both ideas sound freakin' great. I could even do both things at onc-

I'm thrown out of my musings when I hear giggling coming from the outside and not from my head for once. It's...actually pleasant to my ears after spending so much time with that psycho, but I still find myself giving Noel an annoyed look.

"What's so funny?" - I ask her. The giggling stops, but a small smile still remains on her face.

"Nothing, it's just...I think smiling suits you better than scowling..." - Noel replies, inching away from me with every word.

"...Is this...Is this really the time for this stupid shit?" - I ask with a sigh. To be fair, I kinda want to agree with her since this face is...No, don't think about it. There are more important things to take care of right now.

"W-Well, it's not, but...Nevermind...Any improvements on your plan?" - the Lieutenant asks and that's a pretty good question.

"No, it's still the same as it was a week ago." - I reply.

"Um...Then maybe we should at least prepare for it?" - the meek blonde asks as she pulls out two pairs of metal manacles from her coat. Something tells me that they are tougher than they look, but they are still too big for me and Lambda.

"I guess that won't hurt..." - I reply before extending my arms for Noel to shackle them. Just as I thought, they are big enough for me to simply slip out of them.

"...Let's just...hope that it works..." - Noel mumbles as she repeats the process on Lambda, much to her confusion.

"Fragile." - the replica says an-

"Don't break them!" - I yell at the red-eyed blonde before she can break her restraints. Thankfully, they are still on her wrists, but they are already warped out of shape and the chains don't look much better either.

"Why?" - Lambda asks...I forgot that we've never told her the details...

"Just don't, okay? Just follow us and don't do anything until we say so." - I reply and receive a nod in response.

"And please, don't hurt anyone..." - Noel pleads and I can't help but roll my eyes.

"Sorry, but I can't promise that. They will get in our way one way or another...Of course, that doesn't mean that I have to KILL them. I'll just beat the crap out of them." - I say in a lousy attempt to make that idiot feel better about this plan.

" _Oooor you could just go inside, take what we need and be done with it without wasting time on some stupid charades. That will take much less time, you know? If you really want to, we can also kill all witnesses so that nobody knows what happened. But in that case, Noel will have to die first followed by Lambda. They'll just get in our way._ " - Nu suggests and, as always, I have no intention of listening to that bullshit.

The rest of our walk continues in complete silence. With every passing second, Noel grows more nervous. I mean she's always nervous about something, but not to this extent. I can see her cast a glance at me every now and then, but when I look at her, she immediately averts her eyes. Is she worried about me getting caught for real or is she afraid of getting sentenced for treason? Neither outcome is likely all things considered, but maybe she doesn't share this opinion.

Lambda, on the other hand, simply remains vigilant. She's been like this ever since she sensed the Azure Grimoire's presence. The question is...Why? Nu is still all giddy about it, but the replica is almost...scared? Maybe that's not the right word, but she doesn't look like she wants to do this. Even then, she doesn't express her doubts about any of this and I don't like it.

At last, we reach the entrance to the large fancy-lookin' building. Ornately decorated, it's far more impressive than most of the buildings in the city. "Dignity and perfection personified" is what they call it...Who the hell came up with that load of crap?

...Anyway, we approach the front gate and there's actually someone guarding the entrance. After seeing absolutely no other NOL officers for so long, I thought that it will be deserted as well. There are only two of them, but both are armed with halberds.

"Identify yourself." - one of the halberdiers orders. He notices me and Lambda, but doesn't say anything about it. He does look tense though.

"I am Lieutenant Noel Vermillion, NOL Praetorian Guard, Fourth Division." - Noel replies, her posture just as rigid as the halberdiers'...I really don't like the look on their faces or the way they exchange looks.

"Lieutenant Vermillion...Have you not been informed of the Imperator's decree?" - the other officer asks...Why did he tap the ground with the butt of his halberd? That's certainly not a part of any greeting and he doesn't look impatient enough to simply do it out of boredom...

"N-No." - the Lieutenant replies.

" _It's...moving...The Azure Grimoire is moving...We have to make this quick, Ragna!_ " - the voice in my head urges me...It's moving? Are they trying to relocate it or something? But why?

Suddenly, the front gate opens and at least a dozen armed officers in blue uniforms come out. What the hell is going on?!

"By the Imperator's will...all Nox Nyctores must be destroyed...and their owners must be executed on sight. Resistance is futile and as such, we would like you to surrender immediately." - a large man with a battle axe declares. Noel tries to say something, but no words come out of her mouth...That look on her face...It's like the whole world came crashing down around her.

" _What are you waiting for?! Now's your chance! Everyone's distracted! Don't just stand there!_ " - Nu yells at me and I can feel my muscles twitch as she tries to take over and do everything herself...

...She is right. This is a great opportunity and I must capitalize on it. Everyone is focused on Noel right now and the door is open, so, I can just jump over them and head inside. Nobody is going to follow me when they have the wielder of Bolverk to take care of and so all I'll have to deal with is whoever was left inside. In other words, there's nothing to worry about.

...But if I leave Noel here, then she will die. There's no way in hell she's gonna fight her comrades and they won't back down either. Even if she had the most powerful weapon in her possession, she still wouldn't have the guts to kill them all. That idiot is simply not that kind of person.

" _Raaagnaaa..._ "

Goddamnit, why does this have to be so difficult?!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have escalated, to say the least.
> 
> Well, I'd like to write two different chapters based on the choices presented here, with only one of them being...um..."canon" and having a continuation, but I'm not sure about it. One of them would be kinda...spoilery.


	31. An unexpected turn of events

 

" _RAGNA!_ "

...I may regret this later...but...I can't leave her to die here. Even if my plan didn't go well, she still agreed to help me despite not getting anything out of it and she was willing to put up with my shit the whole time. Just abandoning her doesn't feel right.

With I sigh, I break out of my restraints. The sound of it draws everyone's attention and so I don't have much time to think about anything.

"Lambda! Get rid of your shackles and don't let anyone come near us, but don't use lethal force!" - I command as I quickly grab Noel, much to her surprise.

"Acknowledged." - Lambda says before simply slipping out of her manacles.

In a matter of moments, the men in blue dash towards us, but their approach is halted by a barrage of swords that skewers the feet of those who did not stop in time.

"N-Nu? What are y-"

"Now's not the time!"

Ignoring the cries of pain and outrage, we start running in the direction we came from with Noel in my arms. With our running speed, we should be able to quickly lo-

" _WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! GO BACK! IT'S RIGHT! THERE! THE AZURE! RAGNAAAAAA!_ "

Shit, I should have seen that coming! With Nu desperately trying to take control of her body, it becomes much harder to run and I almost trip a few times.

" _Do you even realize the consequences of your actions?! We may never find it again and it's all because of YOU! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!_ "

The crowds that have gathered again certainly do not help here, but at the very least they aren't stupid enough to stand in our way.

" _I'll make you stop...I'll kill you and take it myself...Everyone who dares to stand in my way must die..._ "

Space in front of me tears open with a familiar sound before a rather crudely made sword emerges from it. Before it can impale me and Noel, I jump over it...This isn't good...If I get hit once, I'll give that psycho just enough time to take over and that won't end well. Simply dodging them all isn't a good idea. I'm sure that she's smart enough to predict what I'm gonna do and adjust her strategy accordingly.

"Noel, I need your help! Use your Bolverk to destroy these swords before they can reach us!" - I command over the sound of another sword emerging from a portal, forcing me to duck as it flies over my head.

"...B-But...these are your sw-"

"Just shut up and do it!"

Fortunately, the (most likely former) Lieutenant doesn't protest any further and quickly summons her Nox, making me squint from the bright light. She's not in the best position to do this at the moment, but I've got no time to take care of this probl- Ow, maybe having her shoot these swords when her guns are so close to my ears wasn't the best idea...Whatever, I can take it.

" _This is for your own good...Why don't you understand? Why do you have to make everything so difficult?!_ "

It looks like our pursuers lost us, but we still need to reach Ronin-gai. They aren't gonna set their foot there unless they know that the people they want dead are there, but I really doubt anyone there is going to rat us out. If everything goes well, we should be able to reach it in about an hour or two.

This keeps going for quite a bit, with Nu doing everything she can to kick me out as she tries to kill me with her swords while Noel and Lambda try to destroy them all. Unfortunately, some of them still manage to slip past, forcing me to go out of my way to dodge them. As I thought, she's already trying to counter my strategy and now she simply tries to make as many projectiles as she can while aiming them in a way that either slows me down or forces me to leave myself vulnerable. To make matters worse, Lambda's own sword summoning takes more time and her swords are slower while Noel has to see and aim at the deadly weapons flying towards me. If this keeps going for too long, th-

Suddenly, a familiar figure walks into our path with some sort of a lantern in her clawed hand, forcing me to stop...Damn it, I really didn't want to run into her in ANY situation, but this is the worst time for it!

" _You'll regret this..._ " - Nu mumbles before her relentless assault suddenly stops. All things considered, I'd rather deal with that than the woman in front of us.

"...How peculiar." - Ignis mutters as she looks at the item in her hand...which on a closer inspection turns out to have a burning skull inside. That on its own would be unusual, but the fire is blue and the skull is moving. Said skull appears to be alternating between looking at me and Lambda and it almost looks confused despite its lack of...well, pretty much anything.

"...Noel, listen carefully. Once I set you down onto the ground, start running and do not stop until you reach Bang. If anyone tries to approach you, give them a warning shot or something. Got it?" - I instruct the blonde girl in my arms, who nods in response. With my eye focused on the masked woman in front of me, I set Noel onto the ground and she starts running immediately.

Now that I've met this woman's daughter, I have the general idea of what I should expect from her, but she's also obviously not the same. The hooked blades attached to her hands certainly do not match Ada's delicate metal fingers and from what I've seen during our last encounter, she's a better fighter than her daughter. I really doubt I can fight her, especially in my current sta-

In a flash of magenta light, Ignis disappears and, with no one to hold it, the lantern she held falls onto the ground and disperses into...fog. That means she's trying to relocate herself like Ada did in our fight, but that doesn't mean that I can do anything about it. I just have to be ready to attack when she reappe-

I try to pry open the metal claws holding my head in a literal iron grip, but just like before, it proves to be difficult, especially when Ignis moves to grab Lambda as well. The replica tries to dodge, but she's not fast enough and in a matter of seconds, that bitch has both of us in her grip. Magenta light engulfs us all, forcing me to close my left eye shut. An odd feeling spreads throughout my body followed by a wave of nausea, but neither lasts long enough for me to get si-

I land on my rear and, while it's not that painful, it's sudden enough for me to yelp in surprise...and now I'm thankful for Noe-

Something soft lands right on top of me before...a cape covers my head. I open my eye and, just as I thought, it was Lambda...and we're no longer in an open area. I quickly push her off and sit up. The place I find myself in looks more like a dungeon or the ruins of a temple of some sort with torches lining its walls. The torches in question are lit by blue flames, but there are no skulls there. This place gives me a really bad feeling for some reasons. I look around to...Wait...

"Hades, as you had requested, I brought the person you were looking for." - the blonde woman says, but I don't pay much attention to her words.

What I'm focused on is the purple-haired girl in front of us. The first thing that draws my attention is her royal attire. It consists of a black cape draped over her shoulders, weird lavender belts looping around her body, very long detached sleeves, what looks like an...incorrectly folded white kimono with a golden collar, red hakama that parts in the middle to reveal a long yellow skirt underneath, a cyan bow tied around her waist and a golden band keeping her long hair tied in a ponytail.

That aside...She has HER face too. Is this some sick joke? This is the third girl with that face I've men this month, fourth if Lambda is taken into consideration. Just like Nu and Lambda, her eyes are red, but unlike them, she has rings around her pupils and they are glowing. There is also something...familiar about her. I didn't feel anything like this in the other three's presence.

Another thing I've noticed is...a music box's tune...That tune...It's...It's Saya's music box...There's no mistaking it...

"...Ignis...What is the meaning of this? This...isn't my brother. Neither of these girls is Ragna." - the girl, who doesn't have my sister's voice for once, says and she sounds so disappointed by...Wait...Brother...Ragna...What the hell is going on here?!

"...My apologies..." - the towering woman apologizes, bowing before the purple-haired girl...She's certainly not Saya, but her words...Gah, does everything always have to be like this?!

"Do not fret, you are not to blame for this. I did not specify who I was looking for. Perhaps I've made a mistake? That lantern I gave you was meant to locate his soul...but why did you bring these two here?" - the girl asks...Things are certainly getting confusing here.

"When I found them, the wight you lent me could not choose which one was the soul it was seeking and as such, I chose to capture them both." - Ignis replies.

"...I see. Very well. I suppose it won't hurt to evaluate their souls to be on the safe side of things. Let's start with the white-haired one." - the girl says before she starts silently approaching me.

"If you try anything funny, I swear I'm gonna b-"

"Silence."

A cold hand clasps around my throat and lifts me off the ground, but...there's no pressure here. Almost immediately, Lambda opens a dozen portals behind the purple-haired girl, but the surprise attack fails when ephemeral...ribs appear to block it.

"Your turn will come soon. Have some patience." - the girl says before four red orbs appear around the replica with red blades sticking out of them. In an instant, all four of them shoot out...but instead of piercing the blonde's flesh, they stop inches away from her and form some sort of a field that seems to restrict her movements.

"You bast-"

"Oh, just wait for your turn to speak!...I mean...Let's see if your soul is worth anything." - the girl interrupts be before quickly regaining her composure and...most likely literally gazing into my soul. Either way, I don't lik-

Once again, I land on my rear after the girl suddenly drops me with wide eyes. Her lips quickly curve into a wide smile and she seems to almost beam with joy, but then she tries to regain her composure again.

"Ignis, you may excuse yourself." - the girl commands with barely contained excitement. The woman in question hesitates for a bit before bowing and walking away towards what I assume is a door. I can't see it from here, but I hear what sounds like large doors creaking as they open before they are closed shut with a resounding sla-

Before I can react to it, I find myself in the girl's embrace...This feeling...I...I don't...

"Brother! It's been so long...But I've finally found you and, at last, we're together!" - the...her voice...

"No...No...You're not...Saya is dead..." - I mumble, but instead of pushing her away, I just...don't do anything...

"H-Huh? But...I am dead."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Izanami's attire is...confusing (and that's without going into how she wears her Imperator outfit on top of her battle attire). Hopefully I didn't mess it up too much. The absence of her weird crown is intentional.
> 
> As for why Ragna thought her kimono was incorrectly folded, it's right over left rather than left over right. All things considered, he is wrong here.


	32. Yomi-no-Kuni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This reunion was inevitable and it's certainly better for both of them than in CS's ending. As for Saya's height here, she is a bit taller than Nu if you compare their sprites, but her actual height is never stated and neither is her weight.
> 
> This is a pretty big chapter.

 

"...I am dead."

As soon as she utters these three words, everything instantly clicks into place. Her desecrated grave, the missing music box and that dream...There's no doubts about it now. This is Saya...but how can she be dead? This is certainly not another dream or anything of the sort as I wouldn't have felt any pain if it was and she's certainly not a...ghost. What is she doing here and where is "here" anyway? Why did Ignis help her and where is Relius? What's with the get-up?

...No, I'll leave questions for later. What's important is that she's here. She's here and she's very real. Even if she looks a bit different, this is still my sister. I don't even bother doing anything to stop tears from flowing and I'd be damned if I didn't return this hug after all these years. Who gives a shit if she's some undead monster or whatever? I certainly don't. Hell, I don't even care if I'm in the wrong body wearing her own face.

There are so many things I want to tell her...So many things I want to do for her...It's almost overwhelming. But for now, I'll just enjoy the feeling of holding her in my arms again...I can actually do this with absolutely nothing for me to worry about...It's really hard to believe it, but it's just as hard not to, if not harder. Not everyone gets a second chance like this and I don't even know whom or what to thank for it.

But to my dismay, Saya eventually breaks apart from the hug with...an expression that certainly doesn't fit someone dressed like this. With eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration, she...grabs my cheeks? Can't say I expected that.

"What are you doing?" - I ask...or at least I try to, but it's hard to say anything when she's stretching and squishing my cheeks together.

"You know...when I saw you in your dream, you looked...completely different? Like what I expected you to be when you grew up, but...How did THIS happen?" - Saya asks, but she doesn't stop playing with my face to let me answer her question and so I have to slip out of her reach.

"I...really don't know how this happened." - I reply. It's not exactly a lie as I really don't know how it happened aside from Nu being responsible for this, but I am keeping a secret from her. I'd rather not have anyone know about Nu. At least not now.

"Is this permanent?" - she asks.

"What? No! It's not!...This bothers you, doesn't it? I mean this is really weird and I'm sure this isn't exactly what you imagined our heartfelt reunion was going to be, but I promise that I'm gonna fix this." - I reply. I sure as hell wouldn't feel right if I saw someone walk around with my face...Why is she giggling? I'm not really complaining, but it's just...

"Why should it bother me? You're my brother and that's all that matters. It's not like I didn't change at all. Besides, you're actually...cute like this...and I'm taller now!" - my sister sa...

"...Do you really have to make this awkward?" - I ask with a sigh, giving the giddy girl a flat look...and she is right. I'm actually shorter now. Not by much, but still shorter. Couldn't Relius...or whoever made Nu make her taller? Is that too much to ask for?

"But I'm telling the truth, Brother...Sister?...No, that doesn't feel right. I think I'll just keep calling you my brother...Oh! I almost forgot! I've been busy preparing everything for this occasion and I don't want it to go to waste, so, come with me!" - Saya says before grabbing my hand and running deeper into the...room? It's actually hard to keep up with her and avoid tripp-

"WAIT! STOP!" - I shout and we stop almost immediately. I completely forgot about Lambda and the whole tied existence thing.

"What's wrong?" - the purple-haired girl asks, worry lacing her voice.

"Can you free Lambda first? She's been bound with chains this whole time." - I reply. It takes a few seconds for Saya to understand what I'm talking about, but when she does, her eyes widen and her confused expression is replaced with a guilty one. She quickly undoes the chains, letting the replica move again.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't mean to leave you like this! I'm really sorry about this!" - she apologizes profusely to Lambda, who...doesn't even look bothered by it...I'm...not sure what to think of it.

"All systems: fully operational. Maintenance...unnecessary." - the blonde says, which only confuses Saya.

"...What she's trying to say is...everything is fine...I think." - I explain.

"Well...I guess she can come with us?"

With that out of the way, we head deeper into this cavern. With every torch we pass, the state of this dungeon improves until it stops looking like ancient ruins and starts resembling a shrine. Of course, the lighting is still poor and it looks ominous. That doesn't seem to bother Saya. On the contrary, she is straight up beaming with joy and excitement.

Eventually, we reach what looks like some sort of a royal dining room...except all the furniture is made of bones, both human and inhuman. The table, the chairs, the chandelier, the...Why the hell is there a throne here?! There is also...something lurking in the shadows and I can feel them staring at us. I can even hear faint whispers if I focus on them and it's creeping me out.

"Please, take your seats." - Saya says before...sitting on that throne?! It's hers?!

"Um, Saya? Did you make this?" - I ask, gesturing at...well, pretty much everything here.

Instead of answering my question, she simply claps her hands...and four large golden skeletons with various dishes and silverware enter the room. Once everything is set on the table, Saya claps again and the skeletons dissipate into fog. This raises several more questions and something tells me it's gonna be real confusing.

"Now then, you may...Uh...Dig in?" - the purple-haired girl awkwardly declares. Yeah, she's certainly trying too hard here.

...Looks like her cooking still hasn't improved, but I don't have the heart to tell her that it's outright dangerous, especially when she's looking at me like this. It would break my heart more than hers. Thankfully, Lambda isn't the kind of person who would criticize someone and so I don't have to worry about her saying anything.

I think this is a good opportunity to find out what the hell is going on here.

"Um...Saya? About the whole dead thing...Can you explain it? How did it happen?" - I ask my sister. For a moment, an odd expression crosses her face, but it's gone before I can say anything.

"Hm...Where should I start...You remember my death, don't you? Well, turns out that it wasn't any ordinary disease...There was...There was nothing you could have done to save me. In fact, I was fated to die like this ever since I was born...B-But don't think that your efforts were wasted! I appreciate everything you've done...I really do! Even if you could do nothing to cure me, you still comforted me and made my last moments much easier to live through...But then..." - Saya's voice trails off, her eyes looking at nothing as if she's not here at all.

"...If it's not something you want to remember, then you can sto-"

"No, no, i-it's okay! I'm just...I can do this...When I died, I found myself...in absolute darkness...There was nothing there...Nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to feel...Nothing...Truth be told, the only thing that kept me together was...you. I don't know how much time passed there...if any, but it didn't matter. Whenever things got unbearable, I simply thought about you and the time we spent together and it felt much better...Then...Then I heard someone calling out to me...It sounded like my own voice, but I knew that I wasn't simply going mad. The voice...That blindling blue light...It promised freedom. In hindsight, maybe it wasn't a great idea, but I was desperate and so I didn't think twice before accepting that offer." - she continues, her voice wavering slightly, but not enough to make it difficult to understand her.

"And then what?" - I ask. It really does sound suspicious.

"Then I just...woke up? It's all kinda foggy when I try to recall it, but there's no better way to describe it. It was like waking up from a nightmare...but much weirder. When I regained my senses, I was back at the church and I was like...this and it really confused me, but then...Then I saw all the corpses around me...and that's how I met Mister and Missus Clover! They were both kinda tired and wary of me, but Mister Clover was also...um, excited? Then I introduced myself just like you told me to and after a nice little chat, we became acquainted I guess? Then he told me to follow him and that's how I ended up in Yomi. That's the name of this place, by the way." - Saya replies, now much more eager to continue her explanation than before. What she's telling me bothers me though.

"And so you just...trusted that man? Do you even know who he is?...Wait, Yomi...That's...Sorry, please continue." - I say. I really don't like where this is going. I remember Rachel telling me about Yomotsu Hirasaka and none of it was pret-

Suddenly, everything goes black. Did someone put out the torches?...No, this was too abrupt and Saya's eyes would be glowing in the dark anyway. No matter where I look, I can't spot them.

"Ragna? Is...Is everything alr-"

Something cuts her off and the whispering stops as well...No, there are no sounds at all...I try to tap on the table and I still hear nothing...Wait, am I even touching it? What the hell is going on?!

" _Oh Raaaaagnaaaaaaa...Surely you didn't forget about Nu, did you? Hehehahahaha! Did you really think that I'll leave you alone after you betrayed me? Even if I can't move my body, that doesn't mean I'm completely helpless! I'm the one who manages all these systems and I can easily turn them all off. Normally, that would be stupid, but with our life link, I can afford to do this..._ "

That bitch...I really should have seen this coming...But would it matter? There's absolutely nothing I can do now, so, would it do me any good if I knew that this was going to happen? I don't even know what the hell she's talking about.

" _...But...I'm willing to give you another chance! You're still my Ragna and I can't watch you suffer like this...This isn't what a girl should do to her loved one...So, how about this: you stop wasting time and finally obtain the Azure Grimoire or...Well, I'll leave you in this state until you change your mind. Sounds good, doesn't it?...Oh, right, you can't respond...Alright, I'll turn everything back on. If you accept my generous offer, then get out of that dump and get the Azure. If you don't, then I'll turn everything off again in a few minutes._ "

In a moment, I regain my feelings and find myself in Saya's arms, staring at her outright horrified face. The sight of tears rolling down her cheeks brings back unpleasant memories.

"Ragna! Thank goodness, you're okay...I was so scared! You just dropped dead and then...Please don't do that again!" - my sister pleads as she presses my head to her chest. Fortunately, she lets me go when I tap her on her shoulder.

" _So, what are you going to choose, Ragna?_ " - Nu asks in a sing-song tone.

...I don't want to leave Saya just yet, but I can't stay here either. I must take care of this problem first.

"Saya...I...I'm sorry, but there's something I've gotta do. It's really important and I can't ignore it any longer...But don't worry, I'll come back soon! I promise!" - I say as I stand up.

"So you've decided to abandon me as well, haven't you?" - Saya asks...but now she sounds just like she did before Ignis left. Her concerned expression is no longer there either.

"W-What? No, I've told you that I'll be back!" - I protest. It doesn't look like she hears me though.

"Of course! It was foolish of me to think that this would end any other way. First, it was Jin...and now you too...Who needs some frail, good-for-nothing girl that constantly demands attention?! Go ahead! Leave me! Why should you even care?! You've already buried me! I've got no right to take up your precious time when I'm already dead! The dead shouldn't bother the living!" - the purple-haired girl screams, growing more and more hysterical with every word until she starts trying to tear her hair out.

"Where did you even get this stupid idea?! I will NOT abandon you! Just listen to me!" - I yell at the hysterical girl. Then, she suddenly stops moving completely. A minute passes in complete silence before a giggle escapes her lips.

"...I know...Hahaha...I know how to make you stay, Brother...Yes, if I devour your soul, then you will be unable to leave me. Nothing will be able to break us apart...and we'll be together until the end of time..." - Saya mumbles, her smile growing wider with every second until she burst out laughing.

I...I don't even know what to say anymore. She has completely lost it. A fight is unavoidable at this point. I don't want to hurt her, but I can't let her kill me either. I'll try knocking some sense into her. If it doesn't work, then I'll try to get the hell outta here. If it does, I wi-

When did she get so close?!

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Years of isolation and sensory deprivation combined with a very unhealthy coping mechanism certainly did a number on her mental health.


	33. Bloodline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saya's fighting style is different here since she hasn't discarded that outfit yet.

Before I even realize what's going on, my body moves on its own and, with a swing of my arm, a giant sword emerges from a portal in front of me, forcing Saya to back off...but then Nu lets me take control again.

" _Normally, I'd handle target termination myself, but long-ranged combat will be ineffective here. Now then, show this girl how meaningless her struggle is!_ " - the annoying girl commands before a portal appears and a replica of my sword emerges from it. With a sigh, I grab it and point the blade at my sister, who immediately spreads her arms wide, making those ephemeral ribs appear around her again...This is going to be difficult.

"Tell me, Ragna...Do you hate me? Did you always hate me? Were you taking care of me out of mere obligation?" - the purple-haired girl asks, a little bit more collected than earlier, but still clearly out of her damn mind. There's no point in trying to tell her anything when she's going to twist it into something awful anyway.

To my surprise, Lambda is the first one to attack. Just like it happen during the fight with Ada, the replica sweeps the ground with her leg in a circular motion, opening a portal beneath Saya, but this time, the circular blade that emerges from the rift in space fails to hit anything as its intended target jumps away in time. It looks like that shield is useless against attacks from below and most likely above her.

"How dare you get in my way! Who do you think you are?!"

"Top priority: existential sustainment of subject "Nu". Commencing target annihilation."

As soon as she lands, my sister extends her arm towards the blonde in an attempt to bind her again, but it doesn't work the second time and the replica moves out of the way before the chains can paralyze her. With her temporarily distracted, I run towards Saya, but before I can get close enough to her, she raises her arm and one of those golden skeletons rises from the ground and tries to punch through me. Fortunately, it takes too long to do it and so I move out of the way and slice through his arm down to its elbow before cutting its whole body in half.

While both halves dissipate into fog, Lambda summons another circular blade and Saya jumps over it again...only to be brought back to the ground when a field of increased gravity appears under her. Fortunately, her legs don't turn into a bloody mess as she summons what looks like a giant dog skull to chomp down on the spinning blade, ensuring a safe landing once the beast goes back underground. However, this gives me enough time to finally reach her and swing my sword at her head, but before its blunt side can hit her, those ribs shift to block it with a resounding clang. I swing my sword at the shield a few more times and it finally vanishes, leaving Saya vulnerable. She spreads her arms wide again as I try to punch her, but a new shield doesn't appear and my fist successfully connects...with fog?! Where did s-

Suddenly, Saya lands on top of me, knocking me onto my back. I try to shake her off, but she's strong enough to keep me pinned to the ground.

"You're so warm...Not even death will do us part..." - she whispers with a wide smile on her face and I can't help but shiver as her breath tickles my ear. Her glowing red eyes do not help here at all.

Then Saya's eyes widen and she opens her mouth as wide as humanly possible, but before she can do anything else, several portals appear to her left, forcing her to jump off me to avoid getting skewered by the green swords that fly out of them.

I quickly get up and pick up my sword to slice through the blue fireball that my sister conjures before she can throw it at the replica. Unwilling to give her time to do more of her bullshit, I launch her into the air with an upward swing of my sword. Before she can recover, a large portal appears above her and the sword that emerges from it sends her crashing into the ground. As Saya bounces off the ground, I dash towards her and bring my sword down upon her before gripping it with both hands and knocking her away with an almost circular swing.

" _Hey, Ragna, you do know that you're supposed to CUT and STAB with a sword? What's the point of having it if you're going to keep using its blunt edge?_ " - Nu scolds me like I'm some idiot who doesn't know how to use a sword, but this isn't the right time for me to respond.

"I grow tired of this nonsense..."

The purple-haired girl spreads her arms wide and six orbs of dark energy appear around her, with half of them moving towards Lambda and the other half moving towards me, but they are too slow to be more than a distraction and I get rid of mine with a single slice. Judging by the distinct sound of space tearing open, the other three are destroyed just as easily. Unfortunately, Saya summons more stupid shit in the form of odd odd black spheres surrounded by a dull blue aura and these bastards are much faster, taking less than a second to reach us both...and then they start circling us? There's gotta be more to them than th-

I roll out of the way before the energy blasts shot by the orbs hit me and as soon as they close again, they reposition themselves to take another shot at me. This time, I block their attack and slice one of these things in half.

"Rejoice, Lambda! I invite you...to my world!" - Saya shouts before raising one of her hands and bringing both of her wrists together, each palm facing away from each other. What is she trying to pull here? Whatever it is, the replica is too busy dealing with those orbs to react in time and so I've gotta warn her.

"Lambda, wa-"

When I turn to look at the blonde, I'm greeted by the sight of blood spraying over Saya from a gaping hole where Lambda's heart is supposed to be. She doesn't even look at her victim collapse onto the ground before focusing on me...How did sh-

I block another blast and quickly swing my sword at another annoying orb, making quick work of it. Before the last one can attack me again, I kick it with enough force to send it flying into a wall and it shatters on impact.

" _Be careful, Ragna. I don't know what she did, but it wasn't mere spatial displacement and there's no way she could have moved this quickly. However, there is something that I've managed to detect. Just a few moments ago, air between her previous and current location was instantly displaced, all at the exact same time._ " - Nu warns me, but it only makes things more confusing. What the hell did she do?

"I shall harvest your soul later...What's that expression for? Was she your friend? Your...lover? Someone far more important than me?" - Saya almost spits out with a bitter tone and I'm already fed up with this shit.

"You think THAT's my problem? Just stop and think about what you're doing! Are you even my sister? She would never even think of spilling blood like this!" - I shout and to my surprise, that spiteful expression falters.

"I...I am Saya...I am your sister...You just...You don't understand...Why...Why don't you understand?! You're all I have! You're the only one who cares...The only one who cared...And yet you want to take that away from me?!...No, you never cared...Nobody did..." - she says in response, now back to using her real voice. Tears roll down her cheeks, but her smile is still there.

"Are you trying to make everything so miserable?! I never cared about you? What kind of bullshit is this?! You and Jin...You two were the only ones I cared about. I couldn't give two shits about anything else as long as you were happy. Everything I did was for your sake. But if you think that I didn't care, then sure, keep thinking that...but don't you dare claim that nobody cared about you! Jin cared, the old man cared, even that stupid rabbit cared and you don't even know her!" - I yell at that annoying brat and she almost visibly flinches.

" _Can you just cut this out and kill her already?!_ " - Nu whines, but I ignore it for now.

"B-But Ji-"

"But Jin what? Abandoned us? Yes, that bastard left us, but he didn't do it because he suddenly stopped caring about us. I don't know his reasons, but he still cares about you. I've crossed blades with him a week ago and you should have seen how pissed off he was just because I wore THIS face and used THIS voice! Do you think he would lash out at me if he hated you? Of course not!" - I interrupt the purple-haired girl before she can spout more self-hating crap. Her mouth just hangs open for a bit, but then her face twists into that manic expression again and she bursts out laughing.

"Such feeble lies! Your attempts to persuade me are meaningless, Brother. But now there's nothing standing in out way...it's just the two of us..." - S-

Suddenly, she's mere inches away from my face, but this time, I'm prepared for it and so I throw a punch without a second thought. She effortlessly dodges it and swings her arm upwards at me with dark energy trailing her fingers. It cuts deep into my chest, but it doesn't stop me from trying to swinging my sword at her sideways. Unfortunately, she ducks and and slashes me again, leaving deep cuts in my right thigh, but when I try to kick her with that leg, she doesn't get enough time to move out of the way and it hits.

However, she recovers before I can follow up with anything and summons that skeletal dog again. Its chains rattle loudly as it tries to bite me, but it's too slow and I successfully drive my sword through its head before pulling it out and severing its neck. The flames in its eyes vanish before the beast dissipates into fog, but it was just a distraction and in a second, I have to block Saya's hand with my sword. Sparks fly out as her nails connect with whatever the hell the sword is made of and I quickly bat it away, leaving her open for a s-

" _RAGNA!_ "

Searing pain courses through me as blood gushes out of a gaping hole in my chest. I grit my teeth and glare at that stupid girl who starts stroking my cheek as if I'm nothing is wrong.

"Just give in...There's no need to resist...No need to fight...I will keep you safe...Just let me do t-"

Without a warning, a green sword drives itself through Saya's arm, distracting her long enough for me to gather whatever strength I have left in me.

"Why don't you...snap...out of it!"

Just as she turns around to face me, my fist connects with her face with a sickening and uncomfortably loud crack and she's sent flying into a wall with enough force to leave her embedded in it. I expect her to get up and finish me off, but...She's not moving anymore...

"Target...silenced."

I turn towards the source of the voice and, just as I thought, Lambda is alive with only bloodstained clothes as a reminder of her death. I have no idea how it's possible and I don't care.

"Is she...Is she dead?" - I ask the replica, hoping for the best...but she nods.

...This...This is just a bad dream...I couldn't have killed my sister. There's no way for this to be possible...She's dead! She's been dead for years...How can I kill someone who's already dead? And yet...And yet she's right there, dead again, but this time by my own hands! I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous this is. Who would have thought that I would so easily kill my sister after her miraculous return to the world of the living!

" _Um, Ragna? Ragna, you've lost too much blood...Maybe you should lie down for a bit?_ " - Nu suggests, worry lacing her voice for once...

...Yeah...that sounds good...maybe everything will just...go away if I take a nap...


	34. Overture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More references and more deviations from the source. And, as always, things get weird.
> 
> The dream here is a bit different from the source, but not because of plot reasons. It's just condensed to avoid inserting the whole short story.

_Voices..._

_I hear many voices, all different and yet they all carry the same tone. I don't recognize any of them. I try to move or at least open my eyes, but my body doesn't respond and to make matters worse, it's pretty damn cold here and it's really noisy here too._

_"The readings have stabilised." - a female voice says. It sounds like it's coming from afar and yet it's too loud._

_"Right, that's good. Increase_ _seithr_ _levels by 500... inject it in!" - a much older male voice orders...Seithr?_

_"Roger. Injecting an additional 500 amount of seithr." - the woman says in response and the background noise gets lou-_

_Searing pain assaults my right eye. I try to break out of whatever is holding me to stop it and this time I manage to move a little, but it's not enough. Whatever the hell is going on, it seems to please those assholes and they start cheering, however subdued it is. Do they even know what they're doing?!_

_No matter how much I struggle, I can't free myself and the pain doesn't stop. Those bastard keep talking about something and I don't pay much attention to it...until I hear something familiar._

_"Yes, it's scheduled to be delivered to the Thirteenth H_ _ierarchical_ _City Kagutsuchi tomorrow at 10 o'clock." - one of the voices says. What are they talking about?_

_"Nevertheless, this thirteenth subject that we confiscated from Ikaruga... it seems it's level of completion is different than from what was declared." - the old fart says...Ikaruga? Thirteenth subject?_

_"Yeah, it's something that Sector Seven made that was designed by Doctor Relius" - a younger man...Wait...Thirteenth subject...My right eye...designed by Relius..._

_Something finally clicks in my head and I realize that they are talking about Nu...Where is she? I can't hear her and trying to call her doesn't work either...Was I captured again? No, that doesn't make any sense._

_"Ah, sorry, am I interrupting anything? Pardon me..."_

_Something about that new voice immediately pisses me off and it seems to alarm the others as well. An argument breaks out, mostly one-sided from what I manage to catch, but all I'm worried about right now is getting the hell outta here. Whatever happened, it certainly doesn't matter now. I feel like if I don't leave as soon as possible, something bad is going to happen, but I don't know wha-_

_I stop when someone's finger starts tracing something on my chest._

_"Yo, doll. It's about time to wake up from your dream. There'll be plenty of time to continue the rest in reality... no?"_

I open my eye.

The first thing I notice when I wake up is that I'm lying on something soft...or at least my head is. It's not soft the same way as, say, the grass is soft, but it is comfortable. I almost want to go back to sleep...That wasn't just a dream, was it? That pain felt as real as it gets, but...Were those Nu's memories? That's the first thing that comes to my mind and it seems likely...Back when I got caught by Tager, were those her memories as well? This is all so confus...Wait...These red tiles...

I immediately sit up and back away from the purple-haired girl sitting on the cold floor. Instead of her royal attire, she's wearing a white robe long enough to almost reach the floor with long sleeves and some sort of bindings underneath it that cover the girl up to her neck? It's kinda hard to tell and there's something more important here.

"B-But I...I...How is this..." - I babble, too overcome with confusion to speak coherently.

"Were you having a bad dream?" - Saya asks almost as if nothing is wrong at all. At least now she's back to using her own voice, but I'm still not willing to drop my guard.

"Bad dream?" - Lambda repe- She is here too?...Well, I'd be more worried if she wasn't, but considering that Saya wanted her dead...This is relieving.

"A bad dream?! No, that's not...I thought you were..."

"Dead?...You've completely forgotten about it, didn't you? I've already told you that I'm dead. I guess you want an explanation, but I think there's something you'd like to hear more than that...I'm...I'm sorry...I was acting like a total b- I mean I was being unreasonable back then. In hindsight, there was no reason for me to doubt you, but...Being with you after all this time was just so...intoxicating. I wanted to be with you for longer and when you told me that you were going to leave, I got desperate and...I-I'm really sorry, I really am...I shouldn't force you to stay here. You can even pretend that none of this happened and I'm still in my grave if you want to, I don't mind it...I'm s-"

"Quit wasting your breath...I forgive you, alright? Nobody got hurt...well, not permanently and you could have taken my soul while I was...uh...resting, but you didn't and that alone tells me enough. Just don't make yourself even more miserable than you already are. This is exactly what got you into this mess." - I interrupt my sister's attempt to apologize.

" _This is all nice, but aren't you forgetting something? Metaphorically speaking, I still have my finger hovering over the big red button, so, you'd better get moving._ " - Nu reminds me...Right. That. I really need to do something about it...and I think I know what can work.

"Um, Saya? Can we, uh, have some privacy for a bit? We'll be back soon. I just need to...discuss something with...uh, Lambda." - I ask and receive a hesitant nod.

As I walk away from my sister, I notice that all the damage done to this place just...vanished as if that battle didn't take place here. The table and the chairs are gone too along with everything else that Saya had prepared for me, but honestly, there was no need for that...and it also means that I won't have to eat her meals. Those looked nasty and I'm not sure if this body is immune to that sort of shit.

" _What are your intentions? If you're trying to defy fate, then let me tell you ahead of time how pointless t-_ "

"I don't know whatever the hell you're trying to say here, but no. Actually, I wanted to propose a deal...Are ya willing to hear me out here?" - I quietly interrupt the annoying girl to save me a headache...This might be the worst idea I have ever thought of, but I'm backed into a corner here. If I don't do anything to keep her in check, I'll end up with a lot of blood on my hands.

" _You do know that you've got no bargaining power here, don't you?...But you probably knew that before you came up with whatever is on your mind, so, it's gotta be something good...Alright, I'm all ears!_ " - she cheerily replies...Here we go...

"I know that you really want to get the Azure Grimoire and, admittedly, I want to obtain that thing just as badly, but...How about this: we go about this whole thing as I see fit, taking a break whenever needed and dealing with whatever comes up without resorting to violence, but for every day spent on this journey, I'll...I'll plea...I'll make you feel good? But I'll say it right now: everything aside from arms and legs is off-limits and once I'm done, you must fix it as quickly as possible." - I suggest. Hopefully she understands what I'm trying to offer here. I'm not sure if I should be glad that she's not into anything that would make me feel dirty or not. Butchering myself doesn't sound good even if it won't leave any marks, but I don't think I would be able to do this if...I'd rather not think about it.

" _Hm...That doesn't sound too bad...although you should have been doing that without any need for a deal like this...and I can simply force you to show me how much you love Nu without having to do anything in exchange...What stops me from doing that, Ra-g-na?_ " - that bitch asks and I can almost see that smug smile on her face, never mind the fact that it's currently mine.

"If you force me, then it won't be the same as if I would have done it by my own will, won't it? When you're...uh...making love, it should be genuine, right?" - I retort and almost puke my guts out in the process. Judging by the thoughtful humming noise coming from inside my head, she's actually considering my proposal.

" _...Okay, I'm sold! We are destined to get the Azure either way, so, I guess waiting for a bit longer won't hurt...especially if that time is spent with someone I love...Ah, I couldn't have asked for a better man! You're much too kind, Ragna! I shouldn't have doubted you even for a second!_ " - that goddamn girl shouts and I can already feel a headache coming. Well, at least I no longer have to worry about her bitching about this whole thing...But there is something that needs to be discussed now.

"Hey, Lambda, thanks for saving my ass twice back there, but there's something I've gotta ask. How did you survive that? Saya claims that she's dead...whatever that means, but...Was that wound not fatal for you?" - I ask the replica, who tilts her head with her eyebrow raised before her eyes widen.

"Negative. Damage inflicted...Error...Conflicting data detected...Termination log found...I...don't understand..." - the blonde replies, apparently just as confused as I am.

" _I think I know what's going on here. You remember how this...extraneous object was made, don't you?_ " - the voice in my head asks. Kinda hypocritical

"Yeah, but what does it have to do with...Go on." - I urge the girl to continue. I think I know what she's trying to say here, but I'd rather hear it from her.

" _I'm not sure how much you know about that sort of thing, but...Let's put it this way: if you cut my arm off, it would still be my arm, right? And Lambda was made from my arm. Even if the rest of her body is somewhat different, she's still technically my arm. Unless I die, she will keep living. However, the reverse shouldn't apply to her and there's a possibility that, should I somehow die, she will follow soon afterward._ " - Nu explains. I guess it makes sense.

"Heh, you're not as stupid as you might sound at times." - I half-heartedly compliment the girl and, just as I expected, she squeals in delight and I'm not sure whether I should be glad that she can't make me go deaf with that shit or wish for the sweet release of death since that means she can scream her head off as much as she wants to.

" _Why, thank you, Ragna! But this is just a theory. I'm no scientist, you know? Anyway, I'd suggest we get going, but since we've made a deal, I'll leave that up to you._ " - the bane of my existence suggests.

While I'd rather get this done and over with as soon as possible, I can't leave my sister so soon. Besides, there are still things I want to know. Hopefully we didn't wander too far away from Saya. I don't wanna get lost here and navigating in this place is probably a real pain in the ass.


	35. Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long. I had to split this into two parts to avoid making it too long.

"We're back. Sorry about that."

As poorly lit as this place is, we've still managed to find our way back to Saya. It's a good thing that the structure of this place is linear for the most part. The tune of Saya's music box also helped here. When did she even have the time to ge-

"What were you talking about?" - Saya asks as she suddenly appears right in front of me, making me fall onto my rear out of surprise. To my relief, she seems to be curious about it with none of that bullshit I had to deal with earlier.

"Will you stop...Uh, whatever. It's nothing you should worr-"

"Come on, tell me!...Please?" - my sister pleads with those damn puppy eyes. It's not quite as effective when her eyes look like this though. It's not outright creepy, but it's enough for this attempt to be a failure.

"Look, knowing it will only make things more confusing. If Lambda wants to, she can tell you, but I don't see a point in doing that." - I say in response and she looks so disappointed that I almost regret it.

"Raaaagnaaaaa...You know that she's not going to tell me anything!" - the purple-haired girl whines...reminding me of Nu too much to my liking.

"What makes you think so?" - I ask.

"While you were...out, I guess, she refused to answer my questions. She wasn't ignoring me or anything though. She listened to my apologizes and expressions of gratitude for helping you, but aside from that, she just kept staring at me and glancing at you from time to time...Who is she anyway? When and where did you meet? Why does she look like you? What's with all those swords?...She's not responsible for...this, is she? I swear I'm going t-"

"Just calm down, will ya? It's a...It's a long story. It might take some time to explain everything. But first, there's something I wanted to ask you for a while. What exactly are you now? You keep saying that you're dead, but you sure don't look like it." - I ask the slightly taller girl, interrupting her to make sure that the shitshow from earlier doesn't happen again. At least now I know that Lambda has been following my instructions.

"...Knowing it will only make things more confusing!" - she replies with a smug grin on her face. If someone else tried to pull this shit on me, they'd already be lying on the floor with a broken nose, but since this is my sister, all I can do is sigh.

" _Wow. How immature. How old is she? Ten? Twelve?_ " - Nu asks, most likely rhetorically, but it still makes me think 'bout it. Saya looks like she's around Nu and Noel's age, but that's all I know. Considering that she was dead...and apparently still is, I don't think her appearance really tells me anything here...It looks like something's bothering Saya.

"...I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. Seeing all this blood on you...and the smell of it...Can you change out of these clothes and take a bath?" - Saya finally as-

"Wait, hold on! You didn't mind that when you had Lambda's blood spray all over you, so, what gives? What are you t-"

"Do it or else I'll have to burn it to ashes." - Saya interrupts me with a threat and she looks dead serious about it. Is it really that bad for her? She always hated that kind of stuff, but maybe dying from that disease made it worse.

"A...Are you serious?" - I ask and for what feels like years, the purple-haired girl remains silent, staring at me with those red eyes of hers as if I'm some insect so pathetic she doesn't even want to step on it.

"...Just kidding! Still, you have to do as I say. You said that you had something important to deal with earlier, didn't you? Well, I don't think people will take it well if you just go outside like this. I would be worried if I saw a girl walk past with bloodstained clothes. Besides, it must feel unpleasant for you. I certainly felt disgusted, which is why I had to discard my favorite outfit and put this on instead..." - she says, completely shattering the built up tension. What she's saying makes sense and there is a lot of blood on both me and Lambda, but...

"I just...I can't do it, okay?" - I say in response, earning a confused look from Saya.

"I...don't see a problem here?" - she says, tilting her head a little.

"What do you mean you can't see the problem? This...This is basically your body and I can't just...you know...It's wrong on so many levels..." - I try to explain, but it comes out half-assed and it doesn't look like she understands what I'm trying to say here.

" _Um, Ragna? Aren't you forgetting something? This is our body and you're free to do whatever you want with it! There's nothing wrong with any of this. I don't mind it! You don't have to be so shy about it..._ " - Nu tries to reassure me, but it's not much better, especially when she puts it this way.

"...How long have you been like this anyway?" - Saya asks, squinting her eyes as if it can somehow help her here.

"I'd say over a week, but I was conscious only for four days." - I reply. For a good minute or two, she just stands there, stroking her chin with a thoughtful expression.

"...Oh! I know how to solve this! How about letting me do all the work?" - my sis-

"WHAT?! This isn't any better!" - I protest rather loudly. Now this is one of the last things I'd want to experience. Her...solution makes sense, but it still sounds awkward.

"Well, it's either this or you'll have to do it yourself." - Saya says, crossing her arms with a pout on her face.

"...Alright, I give up. Let's just get this done and over with..." - I mutter with a sigh and the purple-haired girl almost immediately perks up.

"Great! Um, you can take a bath yourself, right?" - she asks the replica, who looks at me in return...Really now? Is she really that dependent on me? Whatever, I'll just nod.

"Affirmative." - Lambda replies.

"Good girl! See? You should be more like her, Brother." - Saya says, turning to look at me with a needlessly smug expression.

"That's great and all, but where are we supposed to go again?" - I ask my sister.

"Oh, um, it should be this way. Just follow me."

And so, once Saya picks up her music box, we start walking through these tunnels again. It still hasn't improved ever since we reached the area where we fought, but at least it doesn't get worse. The unnerving nature of this place is still present though. It's like some sort of a mockery of a shrine that welcomes no one into its seemingly endless dark caverns. I still don't know what's lurking in the shadows, but I'd rather not find out.

"What exactly is this place anyway?" - I ask.

"Honestly, I don't know. Mister Clover told me that this was one of his studies or something along those lines, but most of this place was locked behind some weird door at first. While he was busy with his own stuff, I found it and it opened when I touched it, but then some black fog started seeping out. I felt much better, but apparently it was dangerous for Mister and Missus Clover and then he did some...magic thing to make most of it go away. It was like a bright flash of light, but nothing about it felt special. He kept doing that as we went deeper inside, but Missus Clover told us to stop after a few hours. Over time, we've managed to settle in and clean it up a little. See all these torches? These are my work! Aside from being the only source of illumination here, they also eat that nasty black fog! Unfortunately, the lower levels are too much for them to deal with and by the time I've learned how to summon them, the area around Yomi became polluted...It's...It's my fault..." - Saya explains, her mood quickly plummeting by the end of it. That explains the state Yomotsu Hirasaka is in at least.

" _Black fog that's apparently dangerous for humans and disappears when magic is used...I see. I think she's talking about seithr here._ " - the voice in my head says and I really don't like the look of things now. Saya was brought back into the world of the living at some point after I found Nu. That's also when this seithr stuff appeared in the forest. While I haven't seen any fog, there was still enough of it to almost kill Noel and render her potions useless. Still, I shouldn't jump to any conclusions so quickly. Besides, I've gotta cheer Saya up first.

"Look, you had no idea what was gonna happen, did you? Then don't sweat it...Hey, Saya, can I ask you somethin'? Did you hear anything while you were, um, deader than you are now?" - I ask in a rather obvious attempt to change the subject.

"I...don't think so? What was I supposed to hear?" - my sister asks...Huh. I still wouldn't say that I've been wasting time talking to her grave though. Even if she didn't hear any of it, it still put my mind at ease.

"Eh, it doesn't matter now. I'll just tell you everything once we get to...uh, you know..."


	36. A bath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Oh my, this is a very long chapter. This was originally a part of the previous chapter, which means that it was even longer before. I don't want to split this into two more chapters, so, it will stay like this.
> 
> This was written to be awkward. I'm not confident enough in my abilities to intentionally write it as something enticing.

 

"I'll prepare everything while you undress. I promise not to take too much time."

We have finally reached a large circular room connected to several more rooms and the seemingly endless hallway we came from. This area is located much lower than what I've seen so far, but it doesn't seem to be one of those "lower levels" Saya spoke of. The aesthetic is still the same, but from what I can see when I peek into one of the rooms, it has more of a lived-in feeling. There is even furniture...made of bones. What's up with that? Who even makes this kind of stuff?

"Um, speaking of that, can Lambda do this later?" - I ask my sister before she leaves.

"Why?" - she asks in response.

"...Do I really have to explain it?" - I ask with a sigh, receiving an odd look from Saya, but then her eyes widen and she raises her arm. With a hiss, a skeleton emerges from dark fog and unlike the golden monster she summoned before, this one is much smaller, just barely taller than my sister. It's also wearing a white junihitoe for some reasons, but all these tears and black stains on it make it an unpleasant sight in addition to the skeleton's horns.

"I almost forgot! When you're done, give your clothes to the Shikome. Trust me, she know what she's doing." - the purple-haired girl says before finally leaving...She?...No, ain't gonna think 'bout it. I'll just ask Saya later.

Alright, how did this go again?...Wait, can I just get Nu to do everything? That sounds like a much better idea.

"Hey, Nu, can you do me a favor?" - I ask the girl in my head.

" _Let me think...Nope! I know what you want me to do, Ragna, but I want to feel your hands on my skin. If you didn't make me feel so good the last time you bathed, I wouldn't have helped you either..._ " - Nu replies. I can almost see that sick smile of hers. Well, isn't this just great?

...Whatever, let's just get this done and over with. First, I've gotta get rid of these detached sleeves, which is simple enough to do on my own. Just as Saya told me, I hand it over to one of the skeletons and move on to undo my braid. If memory serves me right, I just need to remove the bolt on the blade. Once that's out of the way, I move my loose hair to the front so I won't have to see anything I'm not supposed to look at and hand over the little blade as well. Next comes the cape, which I never really understood. All I have to do is push on some metal plate on my back that's usually hidden by the cape. With a click and a hiss, the whole thing shifts and collapses until it's all gone...And now...Shit...

" _Only one more article of clothing to take off...Come on, you can do it!_ " - the annoying girl in my head encourages me as if I actually need her support right now.

...I've made it this far. It's not like I can back out of this anyway. It's a real pain in the ass to take off this skin-tight suit, but in a few minutes, nothing is left to cover my skin aside from my hair. With a drawn out sigh, I give the suit to the skeletons holding the rest of my clothes, which then bows and leaves.

Well, I've done it. I've reached the point of no return. Now comes the hardest part...

" _You know, you should probably relax a little. You're not marching off to get executed or anything, you're just taking a bath! I mean what's the problem here? This isn't your first time...even if I did all the work before...Just take it easy!_ " - Nu suggests...What's with her choice of words anyway? It's like she's trying to make this more awkward than it already is.

...That aside, she's right. It's not like there's anything my sister hasn't already seen before. I'm making this more difficult than it really is...but I still can't get it out of my head.

"Let's not waste any more time..."

With some hesitation, I walk into the room Saya entered earlier. Just like the rest of this place, it looks pretty damn creepy. Unlike the previous room and the hall that led to it, there are no tiles on the floor, leaving nothing but barren rock. Next to my sister is a pair of those smaller skeletons, a flying skull engulfed in purple fire and everything needed for this bath. Between us is what's best described as a pit filled with water and I can't tell if it's natural or something that's been dug out.

"Took you long enough...I know that this isn't the right way to do it, but this is all we have at the moment. Once you're clean, I'll evaporate all the water here and refill it again. Now get in!" - the purple-haired girl commands, oddly excited about this whole thing.

I slowly walk forward until everything below my shoulders is submerged in water and turn my back on my sister.

"I suppose we should leave your hair for later...but...hm...I didn't think this through...Maybe I should...Hehehe...That's actually not a bad idea...Just don't look at me..." - Saya mumbles and I'm already getting a little worr-

I freeze when I hear something enter the water...Is she...Oh God...Really? Does she think I don't have enough shit to deal with as it is? There's enough space for both of us, but that's the least of my worries!

"Um, S-Saya, can you think of a better idea than tha-AH!" - I yelp when something cold touches my left shoulder, eliciting a giggle from my sister. I don't feel any better when her hand travels down my arm until she reaches my own hand.

"Your skin is so soft, Brother..." - she says as she raises my arm above the water, rubbing the back of my hand with her thumb.

"C-Can you not point that out?" - I ask, doing my best to resist the urge to tear my hand from her grasp.

In a few seconds, I hear her snap her fingers with her free hand followed by very unpleasant cracking sounds, no doubt coming from the skeletons, then I hear some wet sound. A part of me wants to turn around to see what's going on, but something tells me that it's a shitty idea.

"Thank you. Now, I obviously don't have much experience with this, so, tell me if I'm being too rough, Ragna." - Saya instructs me before she extends my arm and starts scrubbing it with...

"...Is...Is it really necessary for you to be so close? I'm pretty sure you can jus-"

I almost get a mouthful of water when it's poured over my head. With a groan, I part my wet hair to look up to see that skull hovering upside down above me. Judging by the water dripping from it, this bastard is the culprit.

"I'm sorry, what were you trying to say?" - my sister asks. This is obviously her fault, but I can't look at her and so I glare at the skull instead, which quickly flies out of my reach.

...only to get caught by Lambda, who doesn't get burned despite the skull being on fire. Somehow, it manages to look surprised despite being a freakin' skull. With the thing firmly held in her hands, the blonde turns it around, examining it from every angle before...stretching and squishing it? How does that even work?

"Soft..." - the replica mumbles before the poor thing finally slips from her hands.

"...What are these things anyway?" - I ask the purple-haired girl. Whatever the sponge is soaked in, it smells nice and I try to focus on that...but it doesn't work. I'm surprised Nu still hasn't said anything about this.

"I dunno, maybe they're just undead creatures or evil spirits. I found a lot of them at the lower levels, but I can also simply summon them. I don't think they are reanimated corpses or anything though. There are different types, but I couldn't find any differences between monsters of the same type. It's safe to say that they were always like this." - Saya replies. It makes sense I guess. This raises another question though.

"Why do they obey you? And since when could you use magic? What's up with the whole souls thing anyway? Is this somehow related to you being dead...whatever that means?" - I ask and she almost drops the sponge. Another snap of fingers and water is poured again, this time over my arm and not my head, before she grabs my right arm and starts scrubbing it.

"U-Uh...H-Hey, you said that you were going to tell me about something, d-didn't you? I-I'm all ears!" - my sister almost shouts, obviously trying to avoid the subject. She really doesn't want to talk about it, huh? Still, this is actually not a bad idea. I can distract myself from...well, her if I focus on this instead.

"Yeah, I did. I wanted to tell you everything that happened while you were...gone, but I need a good starting point. What are you interested in the most?" - I ask.

"I think it should be obvious at this point...You!" - she replies as she squeezes my right hand.

"I wouldn't say that there is anything interesting about it, but I'll try. Remember how the old man Jubei would come once in a while and train me so you two had someone to keep your asses safe? Well, once I was left alone, that damn cat decided to take it to another level. Sure, he never was gentle about it, but at least he wasn't trying to beat me to a bloody pulp." - I say. I really wish I didn't run into him in the Kaka village, but hey, life's a bitch.

"That doesn't sound pleasant..." - Saya mutters before more water is poured over my right arm and she moves on to my back.

"You bet your ass it wasn't, but it worked and eventually I started fighting back. Still can't beat the old fart, but it was more than enough for me to become a vigilante. The pay sucks, but it's better than nothing. That's pretty much all there is to tell about what I've been doing all these years." - I say, conveniently leaving out the fact that I've been a vigilante for about a week before getting into a fight with some assholes and getting a bounty on my head. I'll try to leave out details like these

"So you're a vigilante? Well, that's better than what I had in mind. Honestly, you looked more like a criminal." - my sister says.

"You're not the first one to point this out...Anyway, what else do yo- D-DON'T TOUCH THAT!" - I yell at Saya as soon as her hand reaches my chest and almost end up tripping when I try to move away from her. It certainly feels different now that I'm in control of Nu's body and I don't like it one bit. To make matters worse, my face feels like it's on fire. Damn you, Relius!

"S-Sorry, I honestly forgot about...Um, can you tell me more about Jin?" - the purple-haired girl asks as she skips my chest and starts scrubbing my stomach instead, which is still distracting, but not as bad as...No, I'm not gonna think about it.

"Jin? Well, can't say I know everything about him or that the things I know are actually the truth, but at some point after he ditched us, the Kisaragi family adopted him. Not sure what they saw in that scrawny brat, but eventually he became the first in line to inherit the title of the family head." - I say, earning a surprised gasp from the girl behind me.

"Jin? The Kisaragi family? T-That's great! I remember Jubei telling us that only best of the best could be adopted into that family, but to think that one of my brothers is now one of them...I must admit, that is impressive." - Saya says, but it sounds like something bothers her.

"It is, but he's still an asshole even after becoming "The Hero of Ikaruga"...and yet there's still someone who him and it's not some one-sided obsession...unlike someone I've met recently." - I say, muttering the last part under my breath.

"Who is she? And what do you mean by "Hero of Ikaruga"?" - my sister asks, obviously very eager to sate her curiosity.

"Calm down, will ya? I don't know all the details and I don't care enough to learn them anyway, but her name is Tsubaki and from what I've been told, she doesn't sound like a bad person at all. Hell, she might even help Jin grow out of his jackassery. As for the "Hero of Ikaruga" thing, he got that title after single-handedly ending a civil war." - I reply.

"I'd like to meet that girl at some point in the future...Ragna...I remember you telling me that you fought Jin recently. What exactly happened?" - Saya asks...Shit, her hands has already reached my rear...Goddamnit...

"When I was looking for...a way to fix this mess, I...stumbled upon him and he mistook me for you. He tried to put you to rest and even...cut my arm off, but I kicked his ass anyway." - I reply, squirming a little out of discomfort. Thankfully, she sto-

I almost fall over when something raises my feet up until my knees almost touches my chest. I look down and see golden bony arm below, one holding my feet and another one under my butt, but the rest of the skeleton is missing.

"Sorry, I should have warned you. Now then, what do you mean he cut your arm off? But you still have it. Did you just regrow it? I mean I've kicked a hole through your chest, so, it wouldn't surprise me, but I don't understand how that worked either...What exactly happened to you?" - my sister asks as she starts working on to my left leg...It's really damn hard to concentrate when her chest is pressed against my back...Is she trying to make this difficult or is she just completely oblivious to...Whatever, this will be over soon.

"I've already told you that I don't know what happened to me. I just woke up like this. As for my arm, yes, I regrew it. I don't know the full extent of my abilities, but regrowing an arm is no big deal. Losing my body parts is still painful though." - I reply. It's not exactly a lie, but it's not the whole truth either...and yet it still doesn't feel right. It feels like I'm just lying to her.

"I see...Back when we fought, didn't you mention some kind of rabbit? Who is she? And who is Lambda anyway?" - she asks before moving on to my right leg.

"Rabbit? That's Rachel, the head of the Alucard family and a real bitch at times, especially when she's bored. While I'm not the only one she torments, it feels like she enjoys making me suffer the most. She just appears out of nowhere and then abuses me until she's satisfied and she's been doing that for years. But in spite of that, she's not a terrible person. Now Lambda...Well, she was made from my severed arm, which is why her right arm has a different color. She isn't me though. Not exactly a blank slate, but she might as well be a different person. Unfortunately, our existence is tied and so if she gets too far away from me, she'll blow up. I think that's all I wanted to tell you." - I reply. There are few more things I haven't told her like whatever the hell is going on with the Imperator or my encounter with the Clovers, but I feel like she doesn't need to know that. Not now.

"I didn't know you could make a new human out of an arm...I have a lot to catch up with, don't I? Thank you for helping me with that, Brother. Alright, there's only one thing left to do...I'm talking about your beautiful hair, of course!" - Saya exclaims as she gathers my hair in her hands until none of it is left floating on the surface.

The golden arm underneath my feet moves to hold my back instead, allowing me to rest on this makeshift chair. I hear cracking sounds come from behind me and then my sister starts washing my hair. Finally, I can close my eyes and relax.

...Now that I think about it, there was no real need to wash anything aside from my torso since that's where all the blood was and even then, most of it was absorbed by my suit...Eh, it's too late at this point...

I don't know how much time passes before all the lather from my hair is washed away, but it feels like it wasn't enough. With their task fulfilled, the bony arms move again until my feet are back on the rocky bottom.

"And we're done. Mind getting out of the water for a bit?" - the purple-haired girl asks and I comply.

Mere seconds after I walk out of the bath, I hear a splash and a loud hiss followed by steam filling the room. I don't turn around to see what happened and so I'm just going to assume Saya got rid of the bathwater with a fireball just like she tried to do with Lambda before. Soon four large golden skeletons walk into the room, all four of them holding large jars with rather unpleasant designs on them. Once they reach the empty pit, they begin pouring water into it while my sister dries me with a towel.

"Now just wait for them to refill the pit...Oh, by the way, you said that your body looks like mine, right?" - she asks. I don't like where this is going...

"Yes, what about it?" - I ask...I really don't like how she giggles.

"Well, you're not completely wrong, but...you're bigger up there." - Saya re...

...

...

...Goddamnit...


	37. Report

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third person POV here...I think this is the third time I use it.

 

"Has the Imperator truly gone mad?!"

To put it mildly, Jin was baffled by the news. It simply didn't make any sense. Why would they not only order the wielders Nox Nyctores to be executed, but have the weapons themselves be destroyed as well? The Imperator issuing questionable orders is nothing new to him, but this is outright stupid. No matter how he looks at it, there's simply nothing to gain from it. If they wanted to make sure that these weapons don't end up in the wrong hands, then they wouldn't order their wielders to be killed as well.

"I believe that this should have been clear to you ever since the Ikaruga civil war. Only a madman would start such a massacre." - Bang says.

The ninja himself didn't feel any better about any of this either. Even to this day, he still cannot believe that Lord Tenjo's child would turn into something so vile. There were no signs of such behavior in the past, but ever since that civil war, they simply weren't the same. There already are plenty of nasty rumours regarding the Imperator's mental and physical health and, while they are nothing new, it gets harder to dismiss them as nonsense. The Imperator doesn't act like the tyrants of the past and refuses to show their face...or even an inch of their skin, for that matter.

"Th-There's more...Um, please take a look." - Noel says, offering the blonde seven different wanted posters. He sorts through them, his face regaining his usual impassive expression that quickly crumbles when he sees a familiar face.

"Brother...?" - Jin mutters.

The man on the last poster looks almost exactly like his brother, down to the same hairstyle and general facial structure. In addition to that, there is no name on the poster. However, the man's hair is white rather than blonde and he can't jump to conclusions and assume that this really is his brother. After all, he knows this annoying girl since the academy and he encountered another girl that looked like his sister around a week ago.

Eventually, Jin tears his eyes away from the face of his brother's lookalike and focuses on other posters in his hands. Some of them look familiar and they even have the same names, but they are also too different. Both the butler of the Alucard family and the Great Magister are too young for these to be accurate, more so in the former's case.

But what truly confuses the injured man is the rest of the posters. He had never even heard of them in spite of them being SS-class criminals. Even if they are actually innocent, something which seems unlikely in the hooded man's case, surely a man wearing pristine white armor and a completely featureless helmet would have been better known.

"What is the meaning of this?" - Jin asks.

"We are clueless. Thus far, we have managed to gather some information regarding Platinum the Trinity, the Great Sage Nine, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing and Jubei, but most of it conflicts with what we have been informed of." - Bang replies. He had faith in his men and so the lack of any meaningful results concerned him.

"M-Major? There's one more thing...About the task you've assigned me to..." - the blonde girl's voice trails off at the sight of her superior's irritated expression. She can't tell whether she is the problem here or the recent news.

"Well? What's the matter? Speak." - the Major orders with an unpleasant glare aimed at the girl, which in turn earns him a disapproving look from Bang.

"...I can do this...Unfortunately, I haven't reached the abandoned church, but...On my way to my destination, I've encountered an undead creature of unknown type capable of incapacitating its targets from a safe distance. It had been dispatched, but then I encountered...something I wasn't fit to fight. I...I've never seen or heard of anything like it before, but it was malicious and poisonous as well. I-I would have died if Nu wasn't there..." - Noel reports, doing her best to keep her composure without activating Bolverk. It doesn't work as well as she would like, but she doesn't have much of a choice. The look her superior gives her doesn't help.

"Is that all you found?" - the blonde man asks, somewhat displeased and concerned about the failure. While he couldn't care less about her survival, the fact that something almost killed the wielder of a Nox isn't something he can ignore.

"Yes, b-but I don't think they were the culprits." - the Lieutenant replies.

"Allow me to explain Miss Noel's reasoning in her stead. Currently, a toxin of some sort is affecting the forest where she had encountered those fiends. We do not know the source of it as it is impossible to travel deep enough into the woods, but it appears to be spreading. While humans unfortunate enough to be affected die unless treated as soon as possible like Miss Noel was, the beasts which are not killed by this affliction become aggressive, running amok and killing everything in sight until their bodies can take it no more." - the ninja continues.

"When did it all begin?" - Jin asks, almost sure he already knows the answer.

"Almost two weeks, if memory serves me right." - Bang replies, confirming the blonde man's suspicions. This toxin they speak of is certainly connected to the strange activity in the church. This leaves only one more question he has.

"...Noel Vermillion. That...girl who saved you...Nu, was it? Tell me everything you know about her." - the Major commands without sparing the girl another glance.

Ever since they fought in that alley, he could not stop thinking about Nu. There was something off about her and while he initially thought that she was his sister, which was ridiculous in hindsight, he realized his mistake as soon as she donned that armor. Whatever she is, that girl should not exist. The mere idea of her existence seems so utterly wrong to Jin and the nightmares...He can never remember what exactly happens, but they all end the same way and they all involve that demon of flesh and steel. Even with the medicine he is given, the nightmares do not stop.

To make matters worse, Nu knows about his past and she spoke of it as if she was one of his siblings. He had never told anyone about it and his brother wasn't the kind of person who would have told anyone about it either. There is no way she could have learned about any of it unless she actually was there, but that is simply not possible. The blonde man refuses to believe that she is his sister and it goes without saying that she cannot be his brother either. There were similarities between Nu and his brother though.

"Um...I...She's a little scary, but she's not a bad person. W-Well, she is foul-mouthed and prone to violence, but...If you're thinking that she's responsible for any of this, th-then I can assure you that she's not. At first, I thought so too, but...She saved my life three times already and she had nothing to gain from it the last time I was in danger. She's just trying to help someone." - Noel replies.

While she still doesn't know what Nu is, she is sure that the weird girl is not a threat...or at least she's not trying to be. There's something clearly wrong with her. It's going to take a while for Noel to forget that expression on her face when she was trying to kill Jin, especially when she had her face, which still feels surreal to her. Looking at two different girls with her own face was not something everyone can experience.

It's been several hours already and Nu has yet to return. The blonde girl hopes that she merely went on her own way or that she will come back soon, but it still worries Noel. It won't feel right if something happens to that girl. That Azure Grimoire she was looking for apparently was in that branch and yet she ignored it in favor of saving someone she met a week earlier. She could have easily used that opportunity to slip inside while others were busy dealing with the wielder of Bolverk, but she didn't.

"Is that so? Hmph. Your naivety is appalling..." - Jin says dismissively in response.

They is still much to discuss for all three of them, but they can afford to leave it for tomorrow. The Library is unlikely to search for them in Ikaruga and the locals will certainly not inform them of their presence. They were safe for now.

...It's a shame that his tea has grown cold.

* * *

A pained yelp resounds through the forest as a large man's palm connects with the beast's ribs.

For the blue-haired man, this was quickly turning out to be a disappointment. After hearing the rumors regarding the forest in Kagutsuchi, he decided to investigate the matter in hopes of finding something that would fill his stomach. There was something foul in the air and, while it wasn't enough to bother the madman, it has clearly affected everything inside the forest. However, he has yet to find anything worth even a light snack. This pair of wolves, as distorted as their bodies have become, were not filling at all.

The other unsightly black beasts lunges at its smaller prey only to get slammed into the ground with a double hammer fist strike. While these monsters are much stronger than any wolf he saw before, they lost what truly made these animals a threat. They have neither the numbers nor the coordination these canines are meant to have, simply throwing themselves at their prey.

The first wolf finally recovers and tries to attack the man, but he vanishes right before the beast's jaws snap. It turns to face its enemy just in time for his foot to connect with its snout. As soon as the man hits the dumb animal, something within its body reacts violently and the beast is launched into a tree at an alarmingly high speed. Even with Enchant Dragunov severely limiting the man's strength, it's still enough for the wolf's limbs to snap off on impact with the tree, leaving only a mangled mess of fur and bones behind. Before the second wolf can do anything, Azrael crushes its head with his foot. The Mad Dog would rather ignore them, but he has grown tired of their pathetic attempts to kill him.

"So this was a waste of time after all...Disappointing."

With a frown on his face, the blue-haired man strolls out of the forest. Perhaps Yomotsu Hirasaka will live up to its fame...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azrael's drive isn't just a gameplay element here, but it will be fully explained later.


	38. Teach me a little more, Nu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The outfit described here is based on a piece of fanart, but I might have done a terrible job of describing it. Can't say that giving clothes a proper description is something I'm good at.

"What do you mean they're still drying?! Just give them back to me!" - I demand in that whiny voice again. I really should learn how not to talk like this.

Once we were done with bathing, I expected to continue my already drawn out quest, but of course something just had to come up to stall me. Honestly, it feels like Saya's actually trying to keep me here for longer, but if that really was her intent, then my clothes would get lost or damaged for "unknown reasons" or something.

"But Brother, you'll catch a cold!" - Saya retorts and I can't help but give her a flat look.

"Look, I've got my throat torn out today, some wet clothes ain't gonna do shit to m-"

"Who did it to you, Ragna?" - my sister asks, using that other voice again. She doesn't sound angry, but I can tell that she's pissed off.

"I-It's nothing you should worry about! I'm completely fine, see? Really, just forget about it!" - I try to assure her and she relaxes a little even if she's still not completely calmed down.

"You are much too kind, Brother...and that is exactly why I love you so much. Nevertheless, you should not let vermin desecrate your body regardless of your ability to heal." - Saya says and I can't say I like how she puts it, but I can't say that she's wrong either. I should be more careful even if this body is so hard to kill for good.

"...Anyway, how long will this take?" - I ask. It's not like I actually want to wear something wet.

"They should be done drying tomorrow." - the purple-haired girl replies. Nu still doesn't complain, something that bothers me now. I'm still not sure how I'm going to approach...that.

"...Alright, I'll stay here for a little longer...but what am I supposed to wear for now?" - I ask...I really don't like the glint in her eyes. I've seen it before and the last time she had it, it took me a whole day to recover. I can still see that abomination in my nightmares from time to time.

A snap of fingers pulls me out of my unpleasant memories, drawing my attention to another one of those smaller skeletons. With a silent "thank you", Saya takes something from its bony hands and unfolds it, revealing a...black dress? It's trimmed with dark blue lace on the front and on the edges of its high neck collar, around the neck and below the chest. Its ruffled sleeves should end somewhere around the middle of Saya's arms if she wore it while the hem of the dress would reach the middle of her thighs. If it wasn't so short, I could easily see some rich girl wearing this...Wait...

"I'm not wearing this." - I declare before my sister can get any ideas. Unfortunately, it's too late if her expression means anything.

"This is the best I can give to you at the moment. I don't think you'll like the rest of my wardrobe and, while I have nothing against it, you won't be content with being naked for so long, will you? Just put this on for now." - Saya says, her smile not wavering even a little as I glare at her...as much as I can glare at my sister, that is.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I'm not gonna wear this and this is final!" - I shout and for a good minute or two, nobody says anything.

"Do you have that much confidence in your words?" - the purple-haired girl asks with a mischievous smile on her face.

"...What are you tr-"

I stumble and almost fall onto the ground from the feeling of something pushing my limbs in different directions. Once I recover, it doesn't take me long to notice that I'm now wearing the dress Saya held earlier in addition to black thigh-highs with dark blue lace on their edges and black shoes. I can feel...another article of clothing, but I'd rather not look at it. Instead, I choose to glare at the one responsible for this...until I see how tired she looks.

"It...suits you well, Brother..." - she says with some effort.

"Are you alright?" - I ask. She was fine a few seconds ago, but now she looks like shit. What did she even do? Is it somehow related to whatever the hell she did when we fought?

"Yeah, I'm fine, just...just give me a moment..." - Saya replies, breathing heavily as if she was running without taking a break for at least twenty minutes. I let her catch her breath before asking another question.

"Where did you even get this?" - I ask as I tug on the collar of the dress. It's not...too bad, I guess. It's actually comfortable, but I'm not gonna admit that and I'd take something completely different any day. Hell, I'd tear it off without a second thought if Saya wasn't the one who gave it to me and if there was something else for me to wear, but hey, life's a bitch.

"The Shikome sewed it." - she replies, gesturing at the well-dressed skeleton she summoned earlier.

"...Why?" - I ask. It just doesn't make any sense.

"Because I asked them." - my sister bluntly replies with a raised eyebrow. It's like she's stating something that should be obvious.

"Why?" - I repeat with a sigh.

"Because when they're not busy following my orders, they get hungry. Unfortunately, they are very fond of human flesh...and peaches, which we do not have. That is why I always give them various tasks to keep them busy for a while." - the purple-haired girl replies. She also mumbles something, but it's too quiet for me to hear.

"If they're so dangerous, why not just get rid of them?" - I sugge-

I jump when that damn thing suddenly snaps its jaws loudly, right next to my ear. Apparently, Saya finds the sight of it to be amusing and so she bursts out laughing. I glare at her, but that only makes her laugh even harder. Even the skeleton starts laughing...and it sounds pretty damn creepy. My sister doesn't seem to mind it though.

"You really are adorable, Brother. As for your suggestion, I'm afraid I cannot afford to lose eight loyal servants. It would be better to simply occupy them with inane tasks rather than get rid of them entirely...But I think we can leave that for later. It's high time that we retire to bed." - Saya says, barely suppressing a yawn before she starts rubbing both of her eyes.

"I think I'll join you later. There's something I've gotta do first. It shouldn't take much time." - I say. As great as a good night's sleep would be, it can wait for a bit.

"Very well. Just make sure not to disturb Mister Relius. He should either be sleeping or working right now." - the purple-haired girl warns me.

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, he won't hear a thi- Shit, I almost forgot...Can you lend me a robe or something?"

* * *

After retrieving Lambda, who had apparently fallen asleep in her bath, we returned to the room where our fight took place. This should be far enough from Saya to avoid disturbing her and maybe even that Relius guy. I don't know where exactly he is, but once I find him, he's not getting away until he answers all of my questions.

Until then, I have someone else to deal with.

" _So, you wanna learn how to summon swords? But why? You can always just, you know, let Nu handle everything._ " - Nu asks.

"We won't get anywhere if I let you kill everyone, but that ability of yours will help me a lot. Just tell me how it's done." - I demand.

" _On the contrary, we'd already be done with this if you didn't decide to be a hero for some dumb girl...but I can't stay mad at you, especially after you have finally admitted that you love me!_ " - the...

"...What?"

" _I mean I always knew that, but hearing you say it is much better, especially after all that time you were playing hard to get! It was actually starting to get on my nerves. Don't you know that you shouldn't keep teasing a girl and leave her wanting more only to do nothing about it for so long?...Where were we? Ah, right, sword summoning! I suppose there's no harm in trying this out. There's nothing I can really do to help you with levitation and such, so, might as well...Hey, Ragna, how good is your imagination? What about your memory?_ " - she asks once she's done rambling about her bullshit. I can't even tell at this point if she understands whatever the hell she keeps spouting...Whatever, I've got better things to think about.

"What does that have to do with anything?" - I ask in response, earning a drawn out sigh from the girl in my head.

" _In case you don't know, these swords are not summoned from a pocket dimension or anything like that. Every single one of them is a projection from my database, an abstract concept given form. With my processing speed, I can visualize and pr-_ "

"Can you speak in a human language? Keep it simple? I don't understand half the shit you say." - I ask before that damn girl can give me a headache.

" _Okay, how about this: I imagine a sword, down to the smallest details, and then make it real._ " - Nu explains, clearly annoyed, but still willing to cooperate.

"Alright, doesn't sound too bad, but...How am I supposed to do this?" - I ask.

" _Well, I have already set up the shortcuts needed for you to make it work, but it's far from ideal. At the moment, you cannot summon a sword if you cannot see where it's coming from. Blinking won't disrupt it, but keeping your eyes closed will. Of course, in order to summon a sword, you need to visualize it first. Try simple shapes for now. It doesn't have to actually look like a sword, but it should be able to at least pierce the target._ _Once you're done with that, imagine throwing it at...at this wall! It should be good enough._ " - she instructs me.

Hm...a simple shape...Without knowing how simple the shape should be, all I can think of is an arrowhead. I get a pretty good idea of what it is, but when I try to "throw" it at the wall, nothing happens. Trying to imagine it flying at the wall naturally doesn't work either.

" _I'm receiving the signal just fine, but it looks like you have some trouble with actually summoning it...Try moving your arms...Like...point at the wall, then think of that shape in your head flying towards it._ "

Move my arms? I do remember her waving her arms around when she fought Rachel, but I don't think she needs it as she didn't do that when she tried to kill Jin. Still, if she's telling me that it's going to help me, then I don't see a reason not to try following her advice. I think of an arrowhead's shape again, but this time I raise my arm and imagine it flying towards the wall. Just as she thought, it works...but then breaks like glass as soon as it hits the wall.

" _...Yyyyeeeeah, we've got to work on the structure of your swords first. I scanned this one and it was too brittle to even pierce skin. It would probably quickly fall apart as it flew past if the wall didn't break it first. I mean I can make them always have certain density, but it might not work well depending on their size and it will leave no room for precision. Oh, by the way, you haven't forgotten about our deal, have you? Nu is really looking forward to it!_ " - Nu asks and I'm not quite sure what she's tal...

...Oh God...I almost...Goddamnit, why did I even think of that...

This is going to be a loooong night...


	39. Intertwined

Saya is crying.

That is the first thing that comes to my mind as I wake up. I sit up and, as soon as my eye catches the sight of sobs racking her tiny frame, I pull my sister closer to myself and press her head to my chest. She wastes no time to wrap her arms around me, a little too tightly for comfort, but I couldn't care less at the moment.

"Shh...Everything's fine, I'm here...I'm here..." - I whisper as I rub her back with my free hand. I don't let her go even as I feel her tears soak the fabric of this dress.

"I don't want to go back...I don't want to go back..." - she keeps repeating, tightening her grip on me as she grows more and more hysterical.

"You won't go anywhere, it's all in the past now...There's nothing to worry about...You're here with me..." - I try to reassure her and it seems to be helping a little. I can only assume that she's talking about that void she was trapped in after her death. I can't even imagine what it felt like.

Then, I hear something odd...something familiar. I can't tell what it is, but it has a soothing effect on Saya. As her whimpering dies down, it becomes easier to discern it...Wait...

With Saya's face still buried in my chest, I turn my head to look at Lambda, who has apparently been woken up as well...and she's humming something with closed eyes...It sounds a little odd with her voice, but I recognize that tune. I used to hum it whenever Jin or Saya had trouble falling asleep. Never thought of any words for it, but it worked well enough without them...What's going on here?

I want to ask the replica several questions like where she heard it before...but it's getting harder to keep my eye open...I guess it can wait...

* * *

The next time I wake up, I find myself in an...awkward position.

Apparently, Saya hasn't moved much after we both fell asleep. Her arms are still wrapped around my body and her head is resting on my chest, which is actually pretty damn uncomfortable now that I don't have anything else to focus on. Why does a doll even need these? Why does it need any of this?!...Well, at least Saya's smiling. That's what matters more here. After what happened tonight, I can't help but smile as well.

...of course, that's a little hard to do when I have something soft and warm pressed into my right cheek. With my eyepatch in the way, I can't see what it is, but it's safe to assume that it's Lambda. What I can see is her right arm resting on my stomach and her right leg slung over my own legs, which prevents me from moving much without waking up either one of them.

To make the matters worse, there's hair everywhere. While, blonde, purple, it's all over the place. Untangling it all will be a nightmare, that's for sure. Maybe sharing a bed wasn't such a good idea when all three of us have such ridiculously long hair. It would probably be even more of a pain in the ass to deal with if we were human.

"Ah, you're awake...Good morning, Brother..." - Saya whispers, making sure not to wake up the blonde...Wait, how long has she been awake?

"Uh, good morning...?" - I say in response. It's hard to tell what time it is in a place like this. It could be midnight for all I know.

"Thank you, Brother...for being here...These...nightmares have been plaguing me ever since left that terrible place, but hearing that tune again...I'm glad that you're here...I'm sorry for waking you up." - the purple-haired girl apologizes as she pulls herself closer to me.

"Don't apologize, I'm your brother after all. I can't watch you suffer and do nothing about it." - I say before moving my right arm to rest my hand on top of Saya's head. I probably shouln't tell her that Lambda was the one who actually managed to calm her down.

For a few minutes, Saya says nothing as I stroke her head. I remember spending hours doings this, but with both Jin and Saya. They were always a little too attached to me, sometimes literally as I had to get more and more creative about slipping out from underneath them without waking them up. While Saya is certainly happy about this, I don't think Jin would appreciate this quite as much.

"So...you're leaving soon, aren't you? I don't mind that since you promised to come back, but...Why exactly are you leaving?" - Saya asks, but it comes out a bit muffled and I can just barely make out what she's trying to say.

"I think I've already mentioned it, but I'm trying to find something that is supposed to fix...this." - I reply.

"...Why?" - my sister asks, turning her head to face m-

"H-Huh? W-What do you mean "why"?" - I ask, wincing a little when I realize how loud I was. Thankfully, Lambda remains asleep.

"Well, while I would love to see your real self outside of a dream, I don't mind your current state and I don't think Jin would care much either. I don't see why you are in such a hurry to "fix" something that isn't really broken...unless there is more to it than that..." - she replies and she does have a point.

All things considered, this isn't the end of the world or anything like that. I don't have to get back in my body as soon as possible even if I'd rather be myself. It's not like this body is really that , I could probably get used to this in a few...years. However, there is a much bigger problem here.

" _While I still think we should obtain the Azure, I...wouldn't mind staying like this. It's not exactly what I want, but it's good enough, especially if we get to have some private time every day..."_  - Nu almost purrs.

THIS is what I'm worried about the most. I just won't last very long with this sadistic bitch in my head. Tearing out chunks of frozen flesh was bad enough, but what I was forced to do before going to bed was much worse. The memory of my hand twisting the crimson blade embedded in my forearm and the flesh covering it being torn apart by it is still very clear in my mind. I'm surprised I didn't end up staining this dress with blood after all that shit.

Just the thought of doing that every freakin' day is enough to make me sick. There's no guarantee that she won't demand more and more or that she won't eventually get tired of it either, but I can't really stop now. I'm at Nu's mercy here and so I have no choice, but if I keep this going for long enough, I'll simply go mad.

This is not the kind of life I want to live. It's shitty enough as it is.

"...You're right, that's not the only reason why I have to go. There's someone I'm worried about. I don't think I've told you about her, but her name is Noel. Really nice, if not a little dumb. She works for Jin at NOL and she's been helping me with this whole thing. Surprisingly enough, she looks a lot like you did back when we were kids. Still don't know why, but that's not important. What's important is that her life is now in danger and I want to make sure that she's still alive." - I say. Saya remains silent for a while with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I...I see. In that case, I suppose there's no reason for me to worry about you." - the purple-haired girl says in response.

"...I've been wondering...Why can't you just come with me?" - I ask, raising an eyebrow when she looks away.

"I would love to, but we are still not sure if I can do that. You see, this body needs that vile...stuff that is flowing out o-"

"Seithr. Just call it seithr." - I interrupt my sister, earning an odd look from her.

"...This body needs...seithr to work. Mister Relius has been running some tests ever since we found that out to figure out how long I can function without it, but he still hasn't found the answer. That is why I cannot accompany you...not yet." - Saya explains.

"Mister Relius...Do you know where I can find him? I have some questions for him." - I ask.

"Ah, yes, he should be near the entrance. You can also ask him to escort you out of Yomi as he is the only one who can do it. I'd like to lead the way myself, but...I wanna rest a little longer...Just follow this wight." - she replies, raising her left arm to summon another one of those flying skulls.

"Alright sleepyhead, I'll find him without you." - I say in response before moving t...

...Shit, I'm still trapped underneath these two...I really didn't think this through, did I?

* * *

Around an hour later, I managed to slip out of Lambda and Saya's grasp. It also ended up waking the replica up, but I needed her to come with me anyway. Unfortunately, asking her about what happened earlier didn't give me any real answers as she doesn't know how she knows that tune either. I asked Nu about it and while she remembers it too, she can't actually hum it and she doesn't know where she heard it before.

This raises more questions. That beastkin told me that Lambda's memory is locked away, but in that case, it's either not very secure or that memory was in that database thing, whatever that is. The former seems more likely, which is quite troubling to say the least. I don't know what's gonna happen if she starts regaining more of her memories.

...Does she have my memories? Lambda is Nu's replica, but she was made after I got stuck in her body. I don't know how all that science shit works, so, I can't really say if I'm just getting worried over nothing, but it's still something I'd like to know even if Nu's memories are a much bigger problem here. I have enough trouble dealing with one psycho.

...I should probably leave that for later. Right now, I need to find that Relius guy. It would be great if he could get me out of this mess, but something tells me that ain't happening. I'll just ask him some questions, then retrieve my clothes and finally get out of this place. I wanna kick his ass for all the shit I've gone through thanks to his little doll, but it's still possible that he didn't make Nu. I don't think Saya would be happy about it either.

After what feels like hours of walking through these caverns, we reach those giant doors I've heard open before. It takes a bit of effort, but I manage to open them and damn, they are just as loud as I remember them being. The flying skull looks like it's getting impatient at this point, either because we're close or because it's taking so long to reach our destination. It also insists on keeping a distance from Lambda for some reasons. Could it be the same skull that poured water during our bath?

That aside, what lies beyond these doors surprises me. It looks like a completely normal room...Well, a completely normal room in some mansion. There are several doors here and a much larger set of doors further ahead, but the wight moves to the one that evaded my sight until the little thing drew my attention to it. With a sigh, I open the door.

...What...the hell? Why can't I move? It's like my body froze as soon as I saw the man in front of me. From this angle, I can see only his purple cape and blonde hair. When he turns to face me, I get a better look at his face and the golden mask covering his eyes, but at that point I'm too focused on trying to regain control of my body to take a better look at the rest of his attire...Wait...Something's not right...Usually, when Nu seizes control of this body, it feels like I'm pushing a huge boulder out of the way, but now it feels like there's a very thick wall instead.

"Target determined to be The Architect. Protection must be disabled...Standing by waiting for orders." - Nu sa...no, it's not Nu. I'm still in control, but I can't actually do anything. My lips just move on their own as I remain standing in place.

"...How peculiar."


	40. Knock before entering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good doctor will be more important later. How exactly? Now that's a good question.
> 
> Certainly not the greatest chapter, but I tried.

 

I really shouldn't have tried to do this alone...

With every step Relius takes, I put more and more effort into trying to move to no avail. Still, there is something good about this. I don't know much about this bastard, but something tells me that things wouldn't have ended well if I tried to beat the crap out of him as I planned to before entering this damn room. That doesn't mean I'm not gonna tr-

A gloved hand cups my chin, immediately breaking me out of those thoughts. With the mask covering his face, I can't see what he's looking at, but I can still feel his scrutinizing gaze. Shit, I can't even look away from his face, forcing me to stare back at his stupid mask as he tils my head to get a better view or something. Either way, it's not pleasant even if he's trying to be careful as if I'll fall apart if he gets too rough.

...Goddamnit, Nu. Even when she's silent, she still manages to make my day worse.

"...Very interesting...The resemblence is striking...Identify yourself." - Relius commands once he's done examinin- Wait, why is he asking something like this?

"Existence description: dimensional boundary interface prime field device No. 13 Anti-Sankishin core unit, Nu." - my body replies on its own, voice completely devoid of any sort of emotion. He doesn't say anything before turning his head away, most likely to look at Lambda.

"Dimensional...boundary interface prime field device Anti-Sankishin core unit...Lambda." - the replica replies, but she sounds much less confident. For a while, Relius looks like he's deep in thought as he looks us over.

"What is your purpose?" - the man asks. I really don't know what he's trying to do here.

"Termination of Sankishin Master Unit Amaterasu." - both my body and Lambda reply, receiving thoughtful humming in response...Huh. Maybe this isn't such a bad thing. I might find out more about whatever the hell this thing really is even if half of this shit is complete nonsense to me. If I can't act, then I'll think instead.

" _...to become one with Ragna..._ " - Nu adds. So I was right and she's still here, but she's not in control and neither am I. She is surprisingly docile right now, whether it's by choice or not.

"Who is your creator?" - the blonde man a- The hell? Why would he even need to ask that? That's something he of all people should know...unless what Ada was saying is the truth...but both Nu and Lambda recognize this man as their creator...What the hell is going on?

"Relius Clover." - we both reply. Once more, the room stays silent for what feels like hours. It's really getting on my nerves.

"...I see...Very well. Number thirteen, allow me to examine you...closely." - the blonde man says, a barely noticeable smile present on his face as he removes his gloves. Now he's creeping me ou-

Without a warning, Relius grabs my wrist...to check my pulse? This is exactly why I hate masks. Can't tell what's going through his head or even see what he's looking at. I'd sight if I could, but all I can do is watch as he proceeds to move his hand to my neck. Around ten seconds later, his hand moves to trace my ribs. Apparently still not satisfied, he bends over...to...listen to my heartbeat...Damn it, why can't I just beat the crap outta him?!

...I'll just try to focus on my surroundings. From what I can see without turning my head, this room is in a very good condition. Nothing is out of place here, not even the countless books lining the bookshelves. It's almost too perfectly organized even though Relius has been working on something before I entered the room. Speaking of his work, there is a lot of shit on his desk, from glass containers for what looks like liquid seithr to...bones?

There is also another door here, but it's closed and so I can't see the room on the other side of it.

"Outstanding craftsmanship..." - Relius mumbles. At this point, I'm convinced that he's just stroking his own d-

"Relius Clover. Explain. Now."

All three of us turn to face the source of the voice, which turns out to be Ignis. She looks calm, but it's pretty damn obvious that she's one wrong word away from giving her husband a beatdown. Her weird hat is nowhere to be seen and there are no metal claws either even if she still has the same hands as her daughter. Now that I can see her without her mask or her hat, she looks a lot like Ada.

"Ah, Ignis, my dear, your timing is impeccable. There is something I would like you to take a look at." - the masked man says, apparently completely unaware of the threat. He almost sounds excited.

"Is that so? You'll have to elaborate if you wish to hear my opinion. I'd like to know what exactly you were doing with these young ladies." - she says in response.

"Young ladies? No, that is not correct. Neither one of them is human. These...prime field devices are my creations." - Relius says. Now I'm confused and it looks like Ignis is in the same boat.

"I...I do not recall seeing you work on them. Surely I couldn't have missed something like this?" - the woman mutters.

"That is because I did not create them. I have never seen them before either." - the blonde man says. Okay, now he's just spouting complete bullshit. Did he make them or not?!

"Then why did you call them your creations?" - Ignis asks.

"Contradictory as it seems, they are my creations. They bear my signature and acknowledge me as their creator, their "Architect". It is unlikely that anyone could have forged it and there is nothing to gain from it. The quality of these artificial humans makes it even less likely. No one has ever come this close to replicating human beings. However, it is too early to come to any conclusions. I have yet to to learn about the inner workings of their bodies. I believe that a proper examination is in order..." - Relius replies before grabbing my wrist again to lead me to that door I saw earlier...I really don't like where this is going...What the hell is in that room?

"...May I borrow them for a while?" - the blonde woman asks and thankfully, the man stops.

"Is something the matter?" - her husband asks in response.

"The last time I've seen them, they were not this obedient. In fact, they both tried to attack me. They were not like this the first time we met either. I believe that your presence is somehow connected to their current state. Should this behavior persist, I shall return them immediately." - Ignis explains.

"Very well. Do not hesitate to restrain them if they become hostile, but make sure not to damage them." - the masked man says before releasing my wrist.

"You have my gratitude. You two, follow me." - the towering woman commands and we both follow her.

As soon as she closes the door behind us, I regain control of this body. I knew that I wasn't gonna have a good time there, but this...This was a really shitty experience that I'd rather forget about. I'll have to warn Saya about this so this doesn't happen again, but I've gotta deal with Ignis first.

"Thanks. I swear I'm never gonna enter that room ever again." - I mumble, drawing the much taller woman's attention.

"Oh? So I was right...What were you doing there in the first place? I do not think you were given permission to enter his study." - she asks me with a stern voice. I guess it won't hurt to tell her the truth. This is already much better than dealing with her husband. A lot of things would be better than that.

"I wanted do ask him a few questions and I've been told that he can show me the exit or something. Didn't really work out though." - I reply.

For several minutes, nobody says anything, giving me some time to think. I wish I learned something new back there, but all I've got out of it is a headache. Why does everything always have to be like this?! It's like whenever I try to learn about something, it only ends up leaving me with more questions.

"If you do not mind me asking, why are you wearing Hades' clothes?" - Ignis asks as she opens the door that leads into a small room...Hades? I remember her calling Saya that before.

"Because she couldn't take "no" for an answer. Is it really that important?" - I ask out of frustration. Instead of answering that question, she mumbles something about playing with dolls, but I don't know what she means by that.

"Now then...Normally, I wouldn't offer something like this to strangers, but...Would you like some tea? Or perhaps something stronger? We have much to discuss." - the blonde woman asks...Great. Another damn interrogation. I just hope I'll get some answers for once.

"Just water will be enough."


	41. You can't be serious...

I've gotta say, this room looks pretty damn cozy even if it's not very big. While I could never afford to spend my free time like that, I can easily see someone coming here to sit in a chair, relax and read a good book or have a chat with another person, which is probably why Ignis led us here. I'd rather just leave right now, but I can't really be an ass and tell her to piss off. It's not like I have to tell her the truth. Then again, one of these two might know something useful and so I should avoid outright lying here.

"So...What do you want from me?" - I ask once I plop into a chair near a small table. The blonde woman stares at me disapprovingly for a few seconds, probably due to my posture, but chooses to take a seat without a word. Unfortunately, there is no chair for Lambda and so she's left standing next to me.

"First of all, I'd like to know everything you had told my husband before I arrived, preferably in a condensed form to save time. I do not wish to keep Relius waiting for longer than absolutely necessary." - Ignis replies. Alright, let's see if I can remember all of that bullshit correctly...

"I'm the thirteenth prime field device, Nu, created by Relius Clover to destroy the Master Unit...whatever that is, and this is Lambda...Just Lambda. If we get separated, she'll blow up...That's about it, really. I wasn't there for that long and he spent most of that time staring at us." - I explain before taking a sip from the glass of water on the table.

" _Urgh, the Master Unit is one of the Sankishin units and it's located deep within the Boundary. It's capable of large-scale Phenomena Intervention._ " - Nu says and once again, I don't understand any of it. The hell's a Phenomena Intervention?

"Is that so? I don't mean to offend you, but you certainly do not look like you are up to this task. As a weapon of any sort, your design is impractical. Frail body, no armor, long hair and...long nails? In addition to that, you are incompetent. You failed to defeat an opponent whose intention was to merely capture you rather than destroy you. You didn't even last a minute against me." - Ignis says and...damn. I mean she doesn't know all the details...and neither do I, but she's not completely wrong.

" _And whose fault is that? If you let me handle it, we'd be done with her in a few seconds and if you didn't decide to help some useless girl, then we would already have the Azure Grimoire._ " - the girl in my head reminds me oh so helpfully. She's not wrong either, but...I just couldn't leave Noel to get killed by her own comrades after she tried to help me.

"...But, if you truly are Relius' creation, then there should be more to you than meets the eye. Are you two feeling hungry?" - the much taller woman suddenly asks...Damn it, now that she mentioned it, I am hungry.

"Yeah, but is it really the time for that kind of shit? What does it have to do with any of this anyway?" - I ask in response.

" _Huh? But...we don't really need to eat...even if there's no harm in it. I mean we spent like a week without food and you didn't say anything about it._ " - Nu points out, but it doesn't make the hunger go away.

"Ah, it's nothing. Tell me, why does Relius need you to destroy this Master Unit? Why can't he do it himself?" - the much taller woman continues...Alright.

"Only we can safely traverse the Boundary and locate the target." - Lambda replies, drawing the other blonde's attention. That still doesn't explain why Nu looks like my sister or why she is so human in appearance.

"And what is this Boundary that you speak of?" - Ignis asks.

" _It's space between all worlds and we are smelted there. Humans can't go there because it's filled with seithr. I don't know what exactly makes us immune to it though. You should ask the Architect about it!_ " - Nu explains and for once I can understand her...well, aside from the smelting part. How do you even get something like...this out of that?

"It's like some hellhole filled with the shit that flows out of this cave. I don't think I need to explain why seithr, which is the name of that stuff, is bad for your health. You've been here for like what, a week? What exactly are you doing here anyway?" - I ask before taking another sip from the glass of water.

"At first, we wanted to research the unique existence that is Hades: Izanami, but after a certain accident, we were forced to stay to take care of the mess and now we're helping her with her task. I have to say, she's certainly not what I would expect from someone like her...But we digress. I'd like to know more about the circumstances of your creation, number thirteen. You claim to be created by my husband, but I do not recall seeing him work on you. Can you tell me more about how you were created? That might shed some light on this odd situation." - the blonde woman asks. For some reasons, Nu remains silent...Whatever, I'll just...Wait...that dream...

"I...I can't really tell you much about it, but I remember that Sector Seven was involved and then there was some asshole named Hazama." - I reply and it seems to surprise the woman in front of me.

"While Sector Seven's involvement is not surprising, I don't see why Captain Hazama would be involved as well." - Ignis says in response.

"You know that guy? Care to tell me more about him?" - I ask.

"I'd rather not answer your questions until I have the information I need, but I suppose this might help us in the long run. That man you speak of is Captain Hazama of the Intelligence Department. Nothing is known about his life before he joined NOL, but from my limited experience with him, he is an intelligent young man albeit with the most unpleasant attitude and extremely poor health. I have no doubts that he could contribute to your creation, but I believe that he had no reason to do so. I have yet to see him express any interest in science despite his surprisingly vast knowledge of the subject." - the blue-eyed blonde replies.

"Sounds pretty damn suspicious if you ask me. Alright, I've got nothing else to tell you, so, we should get going. Let's go, Lambda." - I de-

Metal fingers clasp around my head, suspending me in the air. Lambda immediately summons several swords, but none of them hit the mark as Ignis swats them away with her free arm without sparing them a glance.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that. Now that you have told me more about yourself, I cannot let you leave. Any resistance you put up will prove to be futile. Do not worry, Relius will not damage the goddess' plaything so carelessly. If needed, we can simply put you back tog-"

"Wait, the goddess' plaything? The hell are you talking about?!" - I interrupt Ignis, which actually manages to make her drop me. I might have an idea of whom she is talking about, but it just sounds ridiculous to me.

"Do you mean to tell me that you spent the whole night with Izanami while remaining oblivious to her true nature? She is the goddess o-"

I almost jump when Saya's face appears inches away from my own, with Ignis nowhere to be seen. She's wearing those regal robes again and she looks like she's royally pissed off.

"It's time for you to leave." - my sister says using that other voice again. That's never a good sign.

"W-What are you doing here? What the hell is going on?!" - I ask as I sit up.

"Do not delve deeper into this matter, Brother. Forget about what you may have heard and live on in ignorant bliss. You may be tempted to learn more, but you should not give in to your wild curiosity. You will not find rest should you choose to pursue this subject." - she warns me, which only makes things more confusing. It's like I'm talking to that damn bloodsucker again.

"Are you really doing that cryptic shit too? Just tell me what...wait...It's...It's all coming together now...You're the goddess of death, aren't yo-"

In an instant, I find myself pinned to the ground with Saya's hands pressed against my throat. Instead of glowing red eyes, two empty eye sockets stare back at me. I try to look away only to see the state of her right arm. There's nothing but bones here and yet it still moves. Even her robes look tattered now.

"DO NOT TEST MY PATIENCE, RAGNA!" - the purple-haired girl yells at me, slowly applying more pressure to my neck...before suddenly retreating. When I lift my head to look at her, I fail to find any traces of that terrifying visage as if it was just my imagination.

...What am I even suppose to say after something like this? Trying to bring up the subject of her real nature won't get me anywhere, but I can't really leave it be. I have so many questions to ask like how exactly did this happen? I remember her telling me that she heard some voice offering her an opportunity to get out of that void before she woke up like this, but who or what was it? Why Saya of all people? She's not fit for this role and I really doubt she's here just to twiddle thumbs and do nothing.

"I'm...I'm sorry, but I just...I don't wanna drag you into this...I just want to protect you, Brother..." - my sister mumbles as she helps me stand up and dust off the dress I'm wearing, but she refuses to look at me.

...No, I can't ask her about it. Even if she doesn't want to hurt anyone, she can still be dangerous.

" _I think we should go, Ragna. If she doesn't want you to know something, then just forget about it! It's not like any of this matters. The only thing you should be concerned about is the Azure Grimoire. Neither the past nor the future can be changed. All you can do is move forward and follow your destiny until the day you die...and we are fated to find the Azure...It's only a matter of time!_ " - Nu exclaims with utmost confidence.

Maybe I should follow her advice. I don't buy her bullshit about fate, especially when she's just a murderous doll, but I can see why it would be better to leave all of this convoluted crap for later.

"So, um, where is Ignis?" - I ask as if her earlier outburst didn't happen. I can't see her expression, but it looks like she completely forgot about that woman.

"O-Oh, right, I should probably, uh, tell her something...I'll be back in a minute." - Saya replies before suddenly disappearing.

...Can I have at least one goddamn day without any of this shit happening? Is that too much to ask for?


	42. Gag Reel: A not-so grand adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the first...gag reel of the story? These won't pop up very often and they are more like extra things that I write when I get the idea for them. This would be a separate story, but it doesn't work out of context. The good thing about these is that I don't have to think about how they fit into the grand scheme of things and so I can get them done in an hour or two.
> 
> Due to being limited to a single chapter, it's longer than usual, but there's no harm in skipping it.

With a groan, I lift my head and open my eye. It feels like everything is moving and it's making me feel like shit...well, more so than I am. I can just barely resist the urge to throw up, my muscles are sore and the headache is killing me.

...Wait...Where am I?

I look around the room and immediately realize that I'm no longer in Yomi. While the lighting is still shitty, its source is the sunlight filtering through the windows, something that shouldn't be possible in a cave. If that didn't convince me, then the scenery outside certainly did. All I can see is water and the sky above it.

I tear my eyes away from the nauseating sight to take a better look at my surroundings. Now I see why I feel like shit. Looks like I've been sleeping with my head on the table, which is littered with empty bottles and maps. Judging by the smell, they used to be filled with booze. Some of them fell onto the floor at some point, most likely when I was sleeping. Aside from the table I was sleeping on, there are some bookshelves, a bed with Lambda sleeping face down on it, two chairs, a dressing table and a big chest with an odd white plushie on top of it in the corner of the room...cabin? Looks pretty damn fancy, but that's not what really matters right now.

What the hell was I doing before? The last thing I remember is being lead away from that masked creep by his wife...and that's it...Maybe Nu knows something?

"Hey, Nu, are you there? How the hell did I end up here?" - I ask, making sure to keep my voice down in case I'm not alone. My throat feels a little sore, but it's not enough to bother me too much.

" _Ahoy, Captain Ragna! Like, you're awake!_ " - Nu exclaims, with only serves to make my headache worse...wait...

"Captain Ragna? Where did that come from? Anyway, what am I doing here?" - I ask again.

" _Oh my gosh, are ye actually serious? I mean you were like three sheets to the wind drunk and stuff...but so was Nu, so, I can't tell ye much._ " - the girl in my head replies. I was drunk? Sounds like bullshit to me. I never got straight up shitfaced, but then again, I don't know how well this body can handle alcohol. That aside, since when did she start talking like this? She's not even consistent about it.

...Now that I think about it, didn't Ignis offer me something stronger to drink than water? Maybe that's when this shitshow has begun. Of course, this isn't enough for me to get the whole picture. Maybe going outside will help if not even Nu remembers it.

Apparently, I don't have any shoes as I can feel the carpet under my feet when I stand up from the chair. I'm not wearing that black dress, but I'm not wearing Nu's clothes either. Whatever happened, it certainly couldn't have taken place in the span of a single day, which only makes me shudder at the thought of how bad my state had to be for me to get here.

It's hard to see shit in it due to its size, but there are no other mirrors aside from the one on the dressing table for me to take a look at myself. It...doesn't look too bad. The dark blue cape draped over my shoulders reminds me of Nu's cape, but it doesn't cover my chest and it would look more like a coat if it had any sleeves. The slightly lighter vest and the white shirt underneath it are a little torn and yet still manage to look just fine.

Unfortunately, there is nothing covering my legs, but at least the vest is long enough to reach the middle of my thighs, which would have made my predicament slightly more bearable if it didn't part at the sides below my waist. At least there's a red sash wrapped around my waist to keep it in check.

And finally, a tricorn of the same color as my cape adorns my head. It's decorated with a long white feather and an odd symbol consisting of twelve blades and very small text that I can't read. I might have seen it somewhere before, but with this headache, I can't recall things like these.

An obnoxiously loud creak draws my attention and to my surprise, I see Noel standing in the doorway. As if her presence here wasn't enough, she's wearing an odd outfit consisting of a dark blue skirt with a belt, a white shirt that doesn't even go past her chest, a pair of fingerless gloves, a blue bow attached to her collar and a blue tricorn with a skull and bones depicted on its front. What's with the weird clothes? Lambda is wearing her skin-tight suit, making the whole thing more confusing.

She looks tense until she notices me, prompting her to heave a sigh of relief.

"Ah, N- Captain Nu...Um, how are you feeling?" - the blonde girl asks. Again with the Captain thing?

"I feel like shit, but that can wait. Can you tell me what's going on? What are yo- no, what are we doing here? Where are we headed? Is there anyone else on this ship? Just to be sure, start from the last time we've seen each other." - I ask.

"I...I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but, um, the day after we were separated, you came back with another one of your sisters. I didn't know what happened, but you were dressed like this and, er, drunk. I tried to calm you down, but then you just dragged me away, saying that you found the Azure Grimoire's location through some maps you borrowed and, long story short, we...stole a ship? Right now, we're headed to the Blue Isles and, aside from you, me and your sisters, there is no one on board." - the former Lieutenant replies...Oh for the love of...! Just gimme a break! I should have expected something ridiculous, but this is just...

"...Did I do or say anything stupid? I-I mean aside from the things you've mentioned." - I ask, mentally preparing myself for even more madness.

"...I'd rather not talk about it..." - she replies as she increases the distance between us for some reasons.

" _I think I remember something...Aye, you were, like, going totally wild, demanding more spirits until you got loaded to the gunwall and decided to find out what it feels like t-_ "

Before that damn doll can reveal anything I'd certainly never forget, the whole place starts moving and I barely manage to stay on my feet...or keep the contents of my stomach where they should be.

" _Shiver me timbers, is that wench, like, totally insane? Ye've gotta warn yer crewmates!_ " - Nu shouts, completely forgetting that only I can hear her and she's too damn loud for comfort. I'd yell at her, but Noel is still here and I'd rather not sink deeper.

Alright, now it's time to leave this cabin. To avoid wasting more time than needed, I pull the strand of hair sticking out of Lambda's head, which instantly wakes her up with a drowsy "Ahoy", which makes me pause for a second. As she mumbles something else, I grab her by her wrist before grabbing the other blonde and running out of the room. I don't miss how Noel pulls out her Bolverk as soon as my arm wraps around her waist, but she doesn't shoot me and so I say nothing about it.

In about a minute or two, I'm standing on the deck, looking around until my eye lands on my sister standing by the ship's wheel. When did she even learn how to operate the damn thing?

"Good morning, Captain. Your timing is impeccable. We are less than an hour away from our destination. I apologize for the lack of a warning, but I did not expect you to be awake." - the purple-haired girl says...Can she...Can she at least turn around instead of just tilting her head until its facing me? She's really not helping h...Our destination?

Yeah, there's a group of islands in the distance and they all are surrounded with ominous black fog. Are these the Blue Isles? If so, the name certainly doesn't fit them.

" _Yes...We're so close! The Azure is within our reach once again and this time, it won't be getting anywhere...Aren't you excited, Ragna?_ " - Nu asks, briefly reverting to talking like a normal person.

I-Is it supposed to look like this?" - Noel asks. She clearly doesn't want to be here and something tells me that I'm the problem.

"I think so? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe we should take a look at the map again?" - Saya suggests with a shrug.

But before I can ask someone to retrieve the map in question, Lambda raises her arms in front of her and spreads them wide. Several translucent shapes fade into existence, forming a map...Huh. That's convenient. Maybe I should learn how to do that later.

"Hmm...It does look very similar. What can we expect from these Blue Isles?" - I ask.

"...Maybe I shouldn't have let you drink that stuff...Anyway, there shouldn't be anything of note there aside from the Man of the Azure, who has the Azure Grimoire you're been looking for. I've heard that he's a one-man army with a short temper and the face of a thug." - the purple-haired girl replies. Something about that description sounds awfully familiar to me...

" _Like, don't worry, Captain, nobody can get between us and our booty! You didn't assemble this crew and boar this ship just to let some scallywag stop you, right?_ " - Nu tries to assure me and while it's not a bad attempt, the way she talks still sounds wrong and forced.

"I swear this is gonna be a disaster...but there's no way in hell I'm gonna give up so easily. Alright, everyone, let's get this shit done and over with..."

* * *

When we were still a fair distance away from the Blue Isles, I thought that they were going to be a wasteland filled with seithr, but to my surprise, it's completely fine once you travel far enough.

Of course, that doesn't make it any easier to traverse. Fortunately, we have Lambda to deal with most of the obstacles. A few swords here and there and an occasional spinning blade quickly clear the path and whatever can't be cut is easily obliterated with Noel's Bolverk. Maybe using her Nox isn't a good idea when NOL can track it, but if it helps me get the Azure faster, then I couldn't give two shits about subtlety.

"Is...Is it safe to leave the ship like this?" - Noel asks.

"Oh, don't worry, Noel! Nothing is going to happen as long as it's under my protection!" - Saya declares with as much confidence as she can muster. She did leave several golden skeletons to roam the ship before we left.

"It's not like there's anyone around to steal it or anything...How close are we to the Azure Grimoire anyway?" - I ask. We've been walking for at least an hour and we still haven't found anything.

"One thousand two hundred sixty meters away from the target. Arr." - Lambda replies. I'm not even sure whom to blame for the way she speaks, but unlike Nu, she doesn't really put any feelings into it.

" _Lambchops is right! Oh, I can already feel i- Target sighted._ "

I look around in search of whatever Nu has detected and immediately spot some...black...reptillian...thing? It looks pretty damn nasty, with red veins covering its body in odd patterns, two glowing red eyes and a maw full of sharp teeth. It has no hind legs, but its front legs are more than enough to let it quickly run towards us.

...When I look at it, I have a really weird feeling of...I dunno, kinship? It's really hard to describe, but I should probably leave that for later.

"The forest...Nu, please be careful, this thing is dangerous. Don't let it get close to you." - Noel warns me. Did she encounter something like this before?

"Target identified as a Black Beast remnant. Target threat level: B. Entering combat mode." - the replica mutters.

"What an unsightly beast. Let us put an end to its misery." - Saya says with an unsettling smile on her face.

For a while, the beast stands still, simply choosing to growl at us rather than attack. Still unarmed, I extend my right arm outward and pull out a replica of my sword. For some reasons, the beast stops growling for a few seconds as it examines my weapon, but then it quickly moves out of the way before a blue fireball can hit it. Before it can retaliate, space around it distorts, forcing it to dodge before it's blown to pieces. Judging by the way it moves, it has no bones.

Suddenly, the odd monster vanishes as if the ground below it has sucked it up. It would have worked much better if this damn thing didn't have such an overwhelming murderous intent and so I bat it aside when it lunges at me from behind. As it tries to get up, numerous bony arms sprout from the ground and wrap around its body, something that proves to be futile when it simply slips through the makeshift cage only to get blown away by some odd metal projectile that explodes on impact. As soon as it lands, numerous green swords impale its hide, briefly distorting the beast's form before it collapses into something between a puddle and a cloud.

A minute passes and the black thing still doesn't move. With a sigh, I thrust my sword into the ground and adjust my hat.

"Well, that was eas-"

An obnoxiously loud roar rings out, drawing my attention towards the beast again. While it doesn't try to attack us anymore, it keeps roaring...as if calling for help...Alright, we've gotta finish it off bef-

"Dead Spike! You bastards!"

All four of us turn our heads towards the source of the voice, which turns out to be...Oh gimme a break!

It's literally me! His hair is white, one of his eyes is red, there's nothing on his torso aside from the red jacket worn over his shoulder and there's something weird about his right arm, but everything else is exactly as I remember it being, like those muscular arms...or that six-pack...or that necklin-

No. NO. I am NOT drooling over my own damn body! Why the hell is this bothering me now?! I looked at my body before and I didn't have such thoughts...then again, I didn't see sweat run down those well-defined m-

FOCUS, DAMN IT, FOCUS!

"Target is in possession of the Azure Grimoire." - Lambda says, drawing...the man's attention.

"...Look, I don't know why you're here or who you are, but if you don't get outta here, I'll have to give you one hell of a beatdown, got it?" - he threatens us as he pulls out and throws away the swords embedded in the black beast's body. As soon as its freed, the man...pets the weird creature before it runs away? What the hell?

"S-So, you're the M-Man of the Azure?" - I stammer out...This feeling...It's making me sick, but at the same time...Damn it, Nu!

"Oh, you know me? Then you're after it too, aren't you? But don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're...Wait, are you sisters or somethin'? You all look very similar..." - the Man of the Azure asks as she scratches his head.

"Um, these three are sisters, but I'm not related to them." - Noel replies.

"How about this: you give us the Azure Grimoire and we leave without much fuss?" - I suggest, which only manages to piss him off.

"Are you deaf or something?! I'm not gonna give away my arm to some strangers!" - the man yells at me.

"Your arm? I don't need your arm! Just give me the Azure!" - I demand before taking my sword out of the ground and pointing it at the white-haired asshole.

"Bring it on, but don't start crying when you get your ass handed to you!" - he warns with a shit-eating grin on his face...Ah, those dimples...It's lik-

"Um, Captain? Are you alright?" - Saya asks, breaking me out of those stupid thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine! I can handle this alone! Just stay out of this!" - I reply, but it doesn't sound very convincing. Why isn't she saying anything about that man's appearance?

" _You can do it, Ragna! Send him to Davy Johes' Locker!_ " - Nu cheers me on. I'm pretty sure she isn't using the phrase correctly, but at this point, I gave up on trying to understand her.

With nothing to distract me...NOTHING TO DISTRACT ME, I focus on my opponent. His stance matches my own, something that he certainly doesn't fail to notice, but if he really is me, then he's not gonna dwell on it. I move a little closer to the man before suddenly dashing towards him with my sword raised. When I bring it down upon him, his own sword meets mine and, to my surprise, he doesn't get overwhelmed by my strength...Shit, he's actually stronger!

I stagger a little when that white-haired bastard swats my sword away, but I manage to catch his fist before he can send me flying with a lunging punch. That was a really stup-

A monstrous red hand grabs my face, lifting me above the ground with ease. The hell is this shit?!

"Take a nap!"

Suddenly, his hand explodes, launching me into the air. I recover before I hit the ground, just in time to see him clutch his right arm. I use this opportunity to summon three identical swords, but without the time to think of their shape, I'm forced to use the default design. Unfortunately, they are pretty damn loud and so that bastard has enough time to...summon another black beast?! It swallows the swords, but instead of staying like the other one, it quickly dissipates into a dark red cloud.

How is he even doing it? I certainly can't do that. Does the Azure Grimoire let him do that? And what was with his hand back th-

"This will hurt!"

I barely manage to move out of the way before the man's sword, now transformed into its scythe form, can cut me in half. I try to chop his arm off, but for some reasons, I can't put enough force into it and so I completely miss him, leaving me open for a strike. I brace myself when I see the white-haired man swing his scythe...but it bounces off harmlessly?

It takes me a few seconds, but I notice a familiar set of ghostly ribs surrounding me. Before I can thank Saya for assistance, my attention is drawn towards the man, who is trying to deflect dozens of green swords aimed at his head, but my gaze doesn't linger there. I hear a buzzing sound and when I look around to locate its source, I see Noel holding some giant metal thing sparking with blue energy.

The Man of the Azure, too distracted with Lambda's assault, doesn't notice the arrow-shaped projectile moving towards him until the last moment, but at that point, it's too late and he's carried away. The last thing I hear before the damn thing explodes is a string of curses.

"...Ah...I...I might have overdone it..."

I glare at that blonde idiot, but then I remember what exactly we were looking for and...shit, we didn't just destroy the Azure Grimoire, did we?

"Over there!"

I look in the direction Saya is pointing at and see that man in one piece. He's still alive, but I really doubt he can keep fighting. Still, I can't help but feel sorry for the poor bastard. After all, we did just barge in and beat him up and...his pet? I still don't know what that thing was...but it doesn't matter.

" _Finally! It's right here! The Azure Grimoire we've been looking for! Now go get it!_ " - the girl in my head commands. I still don't know what exactly I'm looking for, but I guess I'll get a better idea of it once I examine his body.

Even if he's in such a bad state, I still don't risk running towards the Man of the Azure and so I slowly walk towards his scorched body. I try to ignore that weird feeling when I slide my arm under his back and lift his torso.

"Wh...Why...you..." - he wheezes out, trying to reach out for his sword, but it's too far.

"I'm sorry, but I just need to borrow something, okay?" - I say. Even looking at him makes me sick.

"Damn you, let go of-"

Pain courses through my body as something large impales us both. When I look down, I see a bloodstained sword protruding from my body...Wait...We're not on the island anymore...We're back in that basement...What the hell is going on?!

"Hahahaha! It's too late...It's too late to return, Ragna! You and I...are becoming one!" - Nu says before she starts laughing.

I try to move, but this body doesn't respond and so we both fall into the fiery pit below. I hear someone scream, but they are too far for me to make out anything.

"Brother...Brother..."

* * *

"BROTHER!"

I almost jump out of the bed, my heart almost tearing itself out of my chest in the process. I take several deep breaths before I finally register my surroundings...Yeah, this is Saya's room.

"Oh, Brother, you're awake...Don't make me worry like this again! If you can't hold your liquor, then don't drink!" - my sister yells at me, but she's more worried than angry.

"Once again, I apologize. I shouldn't have offer...her anything like this." - Ignis apologizes from somewhere to my right.

Just to be sure, I pat my chest and heave a sigh of relief when I find no giant swords sticking out of any body part. With nothing to worry about, I lie back down and close my eye.

What a shitty dream...


	43. Of course it had to go like this

I just barely manage to keep myself standing as my surroundings suddenly change and I find myself near the hanging gardens.

I'm still not sure what to think of all the shit I learned in Yomi. Fortunately, Saya chose to simply pretend that our...conversation didn't happen when she was sending me off, but her insistence on leaving me in the dark just bothers me. How bad does it have to be for her to think that I'm better off not knowing any of it? Of course, the revelation that she somehow became a freakin' goddess of death bothers me much more. That alone is bad enough, but the real problem is that she's been assigned to this role by some higher entity and it obviously wants something from her. I have no idea what it could be, but it can't be anything good considering what Saya is now.

...Whatever, I'll leave that for later. It's not like there's anything that I can do about any of this divine crap. I have enough of Nu's shit to deal with as it is.

Should I still consider her to be Relius' creation? That bastard didn't really give a definitive answer and his wife makes it even less likely that he is to blame for this piece of work, but she has his signature. If memory serves me right, people like him usually put their signature on whatever they make just in case it gets lost or someone tries to steal it. Can't say I see much of a point in it, but that's what the old man told me. If that wasn't enough, then Nu's memories...or at least what I've seen of them so far is enough to confirm that the masked bastard really is responsible for making her. Something weird is going on here.

Anyway, instead of going back to Ronin-gai, I decided that it would be better for me to check the NOL branch in Kagutsuchi in case the Azure Grimoire is still there. There is a possibility that both of us are now criminals for assisting Noel and attacking NOL personnel and so I have to be careful. Sure, those chumps ain't gonna do shit against me or Lambda, but I'd rather not dig myself deeper if I end up getting nothing out of this.

The lush gardens are actually pretty damn helpful here. We both stick out like a sore thumb even with our capes retracted, but there's enough greenery and statues to obscure us from view...not that we have to actually go anywhere near the gate or anythin'. Still, it certainly got crowdy here compared to the last time we've been here, which is why I tap my forehead to ask Nu if she senses the Azure's presence instead of trying to keep my voice down. So far, she hasn't detected anything.

" _...Nope, still nothing. Maybe getting a little closer will help, but it's safe to assume that it's not here anymore._ " - the girl in my head says.

Shit, I can already see the gate from here. Getting any closer certainly won't help. I'd be more angry about this, but at this point, I'm used to this shit. Honestly, if it turned out that all of this was a waste of time and I'm stuck like this for the rest of my life, I wouldn't even be surpris-

I feel the branch beneath my foot give way, but before I can follow it, a thin arm wraps around my waist, letting me climb back up. I'd thank Lambda if that asshole over there wasn't looking in our direction. Fortunately, he turns away and walks away in a few seconds.

" _You know, we'd be done with this sooner if you didn't bother hiding...and we wouldn't have to do this in the first place if you didn't decide to abandon everything in favor of that stupid girl._ " - Nu points out. I'm getting real sick of her attitude, but at least she's not doing anything about it. I wish I didn't have to butcher myself just to keep that bitch pacified though.

As we wait for a pair of guards to pass through, I think of what Noel must be going through right now. I doubt she joined NOL because she wanted to and then it turns out that they want her dead anyway. I wouldn't call her completely ignorant, but she doesn't exactly strike me as being the sort of person who is mentally prepared for whatever life decides to throw at her. At least I can say for sure that she's in good hands for now...if she managed to reach Bang.

...A part of me still feels like I should have ditched her back there. Even if we spent a few days together, I still don't know her that well and she did nothing to help me. I'd probably be done with this much faster if I didn't let her help me. So much shit could have never happened if I...

No, this kind of reasoning won't get me anywhere. There's no point in bitching about what could have been if I did this or that. I don't feel like my decision to save that idiot's sorry ass was wrong and that's all that matters.

" _There's something big nearby. Be careful._ " - Nu warns me. I'm gonna assume that it's not related to these guys, but then what is it?

Thankfully, we leave the gardens in a few minutes without much problems. Now that we're no longer hiding from anyone, I put the cape back on and Lambda follows suit. It gets in the way at times, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable and it...I'd rather not walk around in public without it.

...I think I hear something approach...and it should be pretty damn heavy to produce such sounds. Whatever it is, it's slow and most likely massive. That alone doesn't tell the whole story though. Nu doesn't look very threatening, but that didn't stop her from almost killing Jin and Jubei looks even less threatening despite being able to kick my ass without much effort.

Finally, the towering figure wearing heavy armor comes into view and immediately turns to face me. I can see that the blonde accompanying me is one sudden movement away from shoving a dozen swords up his red ass.

"Target confirmed. Irregularities detected in subject's genetic structure. Unknown weapon detected. Awaiting orders." - the replica says, drawing the Red Devil's attention.

"You again...Great...What do you want?" - I ask. The last time he got close to me, I ended up bound in chains inside some bitch's lab. He did end up saving Jin by knocking Nu out, but that doesn't make it any better.

"Ah, so it was you after all...Nu. We would like to thank you for assisting us in our research, but your services are no longer necessary. Now hand over the replica." - the giant of a man commands, but with his tone of voice, it sounds more like a polite request.

"Wait, what? How the hell am I supposed to do that? Isn't she going to blow up if she's still not stable? How can you even be sure about that?" - I ask. I can see him raise his eyebrow even with his glasses and the armor in the way.

"...Excuse me? I don't think I know what you're talking about. I am here to retrieve it." - he replies...This is weird. There's no way in hell Sector Seven would have omitted such important details when giving him this task...unless...

"Are you guys seriously trying to blow everything to smithereens? Do you really think I'm gonna let you do that?! Yeah, not a fat chance in hell!" - I shout, thankfully without attracting needless attention.

"You are growing hysterical. Please, calm down. I don't know how you've managed to reach this conclusion, but it's incorrect. If that was our goal, we could have done so without resorting to something like this. All we need is to examine it, which is why I've been tasked to bring it back to Kokonoe, its master." - the Red Devil says, still keeping a cool head about it...which is surprising given his stature and reputation.

"Examination? Are you gonna cut her open like you tried to do with me?" - I ask, not even bothering to hide how annoyed I am. While I wasn't awake during that time, that beastkin told me enough to know what exactly they want to do with Lambda.

"I believe so...Why would...that concern you?" - the towering man asks. I can't tell whether it's me caring about the replica or caring about her at all is what's confusing him.

"Why shouldn't it, you idiot?!" - I ask in response.

" _Yeah, you really shouldn't be worried about her when she can't really die. Besides, you have me and so there's no need for this cheap knock-off._ " - Nu chimes in, being just as unhelpful as usual.

"This replica was made by Sector Seven. From the information I've been given, it was made out of your severed arm, wasn't it? With your callous personality in mind, you shouldn't be concerned with its fate." - the Red Devil replies as he adjust his glasses, which look too small when compared to his index finger alone. He mumbles something, but I can't make out anything.

"Callou- Alright, that's enough! Leave now or prepare to get your ass kicked and trust me, I'm not gonna pull any punches here." - I warn the man, my sword already drawn and ready to cut into his flesh, but he just shakes his head.

"I'm afraid I cannot back down...but I would prefer not to resort to violence so quickly. I want you to reco-"

"I will not return." - Lambda interrupts the relatively giant man, which actually surprised him...and even me to lesser extent. She doesn't speak much to begin with and even when she does, she never gets this assertive.

With another sigh, the Red Devil flexes his arms, somehow shifting the armor on his forearms and releasing steam in the process. As it moves back into place, his gauntlets start sparking. I really don't know what to expe...

...What is this...fuzzy feeling?

"...Very well. You leave me no choice. I didn't want it to come to this, but I've been well prepared for this outcome...Whenever you're ready."


	44. MOTOR HEAD β

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally, Tager doesn't wear so much armor, but it's pretty much required in this case.
> 
> He also lacks one of his essential tools here.

 

"Continue until annihilated."

Lambda is the first one to act, almost immediately opening portals above the Red Devil, who quickly raises one of his massive arms above him to block the rain of blades. Not a single projectile manages to damage his armor beyond a few scratches, but it gives me enough time to close the distance. As soon as the last sword emerges from a portal, I swing my sword, aiming at his relatively unprotected armpit, but instead of blocking the replica's attack, he just ignores it and swings his arm dow- Shit, he's much stronger than Nu! If I don't move out of the way as soon as possible, he's going to crush m-

A giant armored fist sends me flying like a skipping stone and it takes me a few tries to stop my flight by thrusting the sword into the ground, something that probably would have left me without an arm if this body wasn't this durable. I clutch my stomach as I try to stand up and fail miserably. It hurts like hell and I have only myself to blame for it. I really should have paid more attention to his other arm. I haven't fought a demon before, but this was some basic shit that would earn me one hell of a beating if the old man saw it.

Thankfully, all the damage done to me is gone in a few seconds and I charge at the red bastard again, who blocks a double kick from the blonde. Before he can grab her, I bat his arm away with an upward swing of my sword. As he tries to crush me again, I grip the hilt of my sword and swing it in a wide arc, toppling the giant and leaving a noticeable dent in his chestplate. Whatever it's made of, his armor's gotta be pretty damn sturdy.

Lambda sweeps the ground with her leg, summoning a spinning circular blade that quickly moves towards the Red Devil's neck, but he actually manages to pull it out of the rift and toss it at us. While it fails to hit either one of us, it gives him enough time to stand up. I thrust my sword forward to knock him onto the ground again, but he jumps in time to dodge it and seriously?! How can he jump so high with all that heavy ar- Screw it, I don't have time to think about pointless crap like this.

"Deploying field..."

Instead of safely landing, the big oaf is almost slammed into the ground lined with green swords, but just like before, they fail to penetrate his armor. Still, that field keeps him in rooted in place in spite of his attempts to move. I don't know how long this thing lasts and I'm not gonna wait and find out.

"Come on, Lambda, we don't have time to deal with this asshole!"

I grab the blonde's wrist and start running as fast as I c...This feeling again...It's like some unseen force is dragging me back. I turn to look at the demon, who is now back on his feet and his gauntlets are sparking again. I plant my sword into the ground again, but it barely slows us down and it's getting harder to hold on to Lambda.

"The hell's this shit?!" - I cry out as I try to resist whatever the hell this is. If I didn't know whom the Red Devil worked for, I'd assume it's magic, but it's probably another one of Sector Seven's stupid trinkets.

"Surprised? Under normal circumstances, this would be impractical on the field. However, your body's composition gives you a high magnetic susceptibility." - the red giant calmly explains.

...Magnetic susceptibility? I remember Jubei showing us a mineral called magnetite, but I'm pretty damn sure that it wasn't anything like thi-

"Get over here!"

As soon as the pull becomes too strong and my sword is yanked out of the ground along with us, I throw Lambda further away from myself so that she won't be drawn towards the Red Devil first even if it won't give her that much more time when we're travelling at this speed.

...Wait, I can just use it to my advantage! With that in mind, I wait for the right moment and extend my fist once I'm close enough to hit him in his face. The force of the impact is enough to break one of his fangs and his stupid glasses, but he still remains standing until a giant green sword slams into his head and knocks him down. Unfortunately, he reacts quickly enough to avoid kissing the ground and we both have to jump back to avoid a surprisingly fast tack- Shit, he's d-

With a groan, I pull my face out of the cracked pavement beneath me. This is one of the rare times I'm glad that I'm in Nu's body. If I was still in my own body, my skull would have been a bloody mess after getting slammed into the ground at least ten times. I look around and thankfully, they are still here and they aren't too far away from me, but Lambda is clearly at a disadvantage here. That green barrier is going to break with a few more hits.

Even if I don't have to worry about dying, I can't get careless. Trying to attack that bastard without thinking won't get me anywhere and escaping is not an option. Maybe I should just let Nu...No, the risk is too high. Even if she's willing to cooperate, she's still really impatient and a bloodthirsty bitch on top of that. I'm sure she will take over and try to obtain the Azure Grimoire at all costs, kill everyone unlucky enough to meet her. That will quickly turn into a disaster.

...Wait...

"Hey, Nu, can you take a look at his arms?" - I ask. His vambraces appear to be sizzling in addition to something beneath them emitting a lot of steam. That idiot either doesn't notice it or he does, but he's too busy dealing with the replica.

" _Lemme see...Seriously? The electromagnetic field generators built into his arms are so primitive that it's actually hard to look at them. The cooling system isn't much better. It's gonna melt down if used too much, but you probably won't last long enough to see that happen if you don't let me take care of him._ " - Nu replies.

"Can't say that I understand everything you're talking about, but...thanks anyway." - I say. Just as I expected her to, the girl in my head giggles, but I'll take that over another one of her fits of mad laughter.

Alright, now I know what to do. I'll force him to use his...field generators until the armor covering it heats up enough for me to slice through it and stop this bullshit, but first, I need to draw his attention. Getting close won't do shit and so I summon a sword and aim at the Red Devil's face. I'm forced to use the same design for all swords I summon because I'm complete shit at making them myself, but this works well enough and now he's looking at me. Just as I predicted, he tries to pull me towards him, but the magnetic attraction is much weaker and so I can't pull that off again.

Before he can grab me again, a green snake of some sort made of several green blades slams into that red asshole's back, giving me enough time to slash one of his forearm guards. Instead of making a dent in it, my sword actually manages to cut deep into it, but not enough to sever the plates it's composed of. Just as he's about to wrap his fingers around my head, I jump away and when he uses his magnets again, I reposition my sword so that he'll have to stop using that damn thing to avoid getting his face skewered. The red giant takes a few steps back, blocking my sword with one of his pauldrons, before swinging his arm in a wide arc. I block his strike with my sword and land safe-

My face quickly meets the ground when both of his massive arms slam into me. I try to stand up, but then I feel something pull me up before I'm thrown high into the air.

"Genesic..."

I look down and you've gotta be kidding me!

"Emerald..."

The Red Devil's large hand wraps around my waist and soon we start falling like a rock. I try to stop our descent, but that fat piece of shit is too heavy for that to work. The best I can do is slash his vambrace with my sword and this time, it slices through, but it's too late at this point. I wish he wasn't so giant so I could reach his face, but with all that armor in the way, that ain't happening.

"Tager..."

...shit...shit...SHIT!

"What?!"

...Huh? Why are we still...

I look down and see one of Lambda's gravity fields below. Oh thank you so much, La-

I'm yanked down with that red bastard as a giant green sword slams into his back, but as soon as he hits the ground, he releases me from his iron grip. He tries to pull that magnetism shit again and so I smash his other forearm guard with my sword before ramming my sword into what I assume is one of his field generators. Of course, he's still a big-ass demon with arms thicker than this body and so I don't drop my guard even as the replica sets up another gravity field under that asshole with three large swords ready to impale his head...and it looks like they're about to do it...

"...Um, Lambda? That's enough." - I say, but it looks like she's not listening.

"Terminating..." - the blonde mutters as she raises her arm.

"LAMBDA!" - I shout and thankfully, she stops and the swords vanish. That field is still there, but I don't mind it.

" _Aw...Did you really have to spoil the fun? That jerk just tried to kill you, so, what gives?_ " - Nu whines and while she does have a point, I'm not gonna let either one of them kill people. Beating them up is fair game though.

"Thanks...for showing mercy...but why?" - the red-skinned shithead finally speaks u...Huh?

"What do you mean "why"? Look, I don't know what the hell they've told you, but it's probably horseshit." - I say with a little less confidence than I'd like to.

"...This is...unexpected. I should report this as soon as I return to base. Anyway, I must commend your abilities. We expected you both to put up resistance, but to think that you've managed to end this fight almost unscathed...Still, I wish it didn't have to come to this." - the Red Devil mumbles and he still sounds so calm despite getting his ass kicked.

"Thanks...I guess. You're not half-bad either. But if you didn't want to fight, then why did you try to beat the crap outta us? Couldn't you have just pretended that you didn't see us?" - I ask and for a good minute or two, the giant remains silent.

"As I've told you before, I was merely following orders...and I had...my own reasons." - he replies.

"They didn't even bother giving you all the information, so, why do you serve Sector Seven?" - I ask. He seems to put way too much faith into that bunch of numbskulls.

"I owe them...No, I owe her everything." - the Red Devil replies. I can't stand when people phrase things like this, but I don't care enough to ask him who that is.

"Whatever, let's just go with that...And what about "your own reasons", hm?" - I ask with a slightly annoyed tone of voice.

"I was curious. I wanted to see your resolve...That's all there is to it." - he replies. I don't think he's telling me everything, but I can't do much to squeeze more out of him.

"...Alright...but I'm not gonna just let you go like this after everything you've done to both of us. I'm not gonna shove my sword up your big red ass either, so, don't worry about that. I just want you to give us something..."


	45. Planning ahead

 

"Your boss sounds like a real bitch."

"...Do not insult her."

"Alright, alright."

When I told the Red Devil, whose name turned out to be Tager, to give me money so I can buy something to eat, I didn't expect him to follow me all the way to Orient Town. He said that he wanted to make sure that I won't spend it on something else, but I call bullshit on that. Still, I can't really complain. While he doesn't have much money, it still should be enough to fill my stomach. Nu said that it's a waste of time since her body doesn't need food and I don't think she's wrong, but I really don't give a shit about it right now, especially after fighting him.

The big guy himself turned out to be much less threatening than I thought. I mean unless you know that he's been sent to crush you into a bloody paste, how can you be afraid of someone who likes reading and...putting little ships into bottles? I didn't really get it and I don't think I've heard of such a hobby before. What bothers me is that he can't recall much of his past. Normally, I wouldn't think much of it, but knowing what they did to Lambda, I can't help but think that Sector Seven is responsible for that. Now I'm glad that Nu is such a pain in the ass to deal with for others too.

I decided to order some meat buns instead of anything that would require chopsticks to avoid making a fool of myself again. It really shouldn't be this damn hard, but I just can't get used to having these dainty hands and I don't want to get used to it either. It does feel somewhat wrong to order something I can buy on the street in a restaurant like this though...then again, we don't have that much money to order something more appropriate and it doesn't really matter. If it's on the menu, then they don't care and so neither should I. They don't seem to care much about having a big-ass demon in their restaurant either.

"Are you really fine with drinking tea? Why not order more for yourself? I mean we are using your money." - I ask the giant of a man sitting at the opposite side of the table. Seeing him hold that tiny cup with his giant fingers is really weird, especially when he's still wearing his armor save for his helmet, which rests on his lap.

"No, it's enough. I'm not hungry...and yet you are. I'll be honest, I find it hard to believe that a man-made doll would just go to a restaurant and order food to eat it." - Tager says before taking a sip from the cup...which looks ridiculous with those massive fangs.

"It's not necessary." - Lambda adds with a barely audible voice.

"Is that so? That's odd. I don't think you're doing this for the sake of imitating humans, but I can't think of any explanation for this." - the Red Devil muses, drawing a sigh out of me.

"Look, I just want to have a bite. You've got a problem with that?" - I ask without bothering to hide how annoyed I am before downing my own cup of tea. I know that it's not really his fault, but it's a little hard to keep my composure after a whole day filled with all this annoying crap.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just...Lambda, was it? Why do you accompany Nu?" - Tager asks the blonde. This attempt to change subjects isn't exactly subtle, but I ain't complaining.

"Top priority: existential sustainment of subject "Nu"...my sister." - Lambda replies, making the much larger man raise an eyebrow.

"Your...sister?" - he repeats as he turns his head to face me.

"Don't look at me, I didn't know she would take my words literally." - I say in an attempt to defend myself.

"...Well, if you wish to protect someone you value so much, then do not stray from that path and make sure to keep yourself safe as well...To think that he would create something so human...what is he up to..." - the giant man mumbles as he adjusts his glasse...Wait, where did he get a new pair?

But before I can say anything else, the waitress arrives with the food we ordered. Oddly enough, she doesn't spare Tager a glance, unlike the majority of the patrons here. Those who aren't bothered by him are either minding their own business like they should...or staring at me and Lambda and I know exactly what they're thinking of. I'd be happy to sick Nu on them if it wouldn't end up putting me in real trouble afterwards.

As I stuff a bun into my mouth to take my mind off those bastards, I think of what to do next. It's unlikely that the Azure Grimoire is still in Kagutsuchi and, if it hasn't been destroyed, they probably moved it to another city. Unfortunately, there are like twenty three cities total and there's no guarantee that it wasn't stolen or taken to the Magister City Ishana, in which case I'm screwed. I have no way to track down the thieves and nobody knows where Ishana is except for maybe Rachel and some mages, but there's no way in hell I'll get anything out of them and even if I did, I wouldn't get very far.

Assuming that I still have a chance, I'll have to be careful to avoid getting NOL going after my ass for having a Nox. I don't use it and I don't think I wanna use it either, but Nu does and they will notice it. I still don't understand why the Imperator made that decision. I wonder what they are gonna do with Gigant: Takemikazuchi. It's said that the last time someone disturbed it, the beast lit the sky on fire for three days and three nights and some ancient civilization just vanished. Might be an exaggeration, but nobody is gonna doubt its destructive potential. Fortunately, it has no owner and usually remains inactive, but those idiots might piss it off.

...But that shouldn't really concern me right now.

I'll probably have to travel by sea to the more distant cities like Ookoto. I can sort of fly, but it will be too slow and I wouldn't know where to go anyway, which means that I need money. What Tager had wouldn't be enough, so, I'll have to get it elsewhere. I'd happily earn it using my culinary skills, but all of my dishes become utter shit in this body and I still don't know why. Becoming a vigilante will draw too much attention and it didn't go well the last time, so, I ain't gonna bother doing that. I'm not gonna steal money or beg for it either. Maybe I can just do some odd-jobs and hope that some idiots will try to mug me so I can beat the crap out of them and take whatever they have instead. It's been working for me for years and it will be easier now, but it might take too long.

Damn it, no matter how I try to approach this, there's just no efficient way to go about it! At this point, letting Nu handle everything seems like a better option and that's a shitty idea anyway. I don't even know why she's helping me with this in the first place. If I wasn't stubborn, I'd give up without a second thought...and if I wasn't an idiot, I wouldn't be stuck in this body to begin with.

" _Um, Ragna? Is something bothering you? Why are you silent?_ " - Nu asks, tearing me out of my thoughts.

"Just thinking of the road that lies ahead...or at least that's what I've been doing before you interrupted me" - I whisper in response.

" _Hey, Ragna, do you ever think about Nu? I'm sure you do just like I think about you, but I want to hear that from you!_ " - the girl in my head asks...this shit again...Does she ever think of anything not related to me or killing everyone else?

"Of course I do, you idiot..." - I reply. I mean...I'm not really lying, but it would be better if I didn't tell her what exactly I'm thinking of when thinking about her.

Alright, that's enough. I rub the bridge of my nose to relieve the growing headache before turning to look at Lambda, who apparently has been staring at me for some time. When I pick up one of the last remaining meat buns, her eyes follow my hand, but she says nothing. It's hard to see anything behind Tager's glasses, but he is facing us.

"If you want some, then just take it." - I say as I offer the replica a bun. For a few seconds, she just stares at it.

"Unnecessar-"

"Don't give me any of that shit. It won't hurt to try. Rachel's tea turned out great, didn't it? Then give this little thing a shot." - I interrupt the blonde, which makes her hesitate.

Finally, she extends her arm and takes one of the buns. Lambda's eyes widen when she realizes that it's still hot, but she doesn't drop it. She looks back at me and her gaze lingers as if she expects something from me.

"...Uh...These are filled with soup and it's almost guaranteed to spill out and burn you if you're not careful." - I warn the blonde.

" _But hey, it's not like it's gonna leave a mark! She's a big girl, she can take it. I mean she didn't complain when she got her heart blown out of her ribcage, right? Then why should you care?_ " - Nu says...and she does have a point. She needs to stop doing that.

Why do I even care about Lambda? Is it because she has Saya's face? But then I would care about Nu and that bitch certainly won't be getting off my shitlist anytime soon. I guess the same applies to that idiot Noel. Why couldn't I leave her back then? What was about to happen had nothing to do with me and yet...I'm gonna keep going back to this, won't I?

By the time I look back at Lambda, she has already eaten the bun offered to her. Her expression isn't as bright as it was when she drank the tea Valkenhayn prepared for her, but it's still pretty damn close. Some of the soup did end up spilling out, but it's nothing I can't wipe off with my thumb. I immediately turn to glare at Tager when I hear him chuckle.

"One word and I might go back on my promise." - I threaten the Red Devil, but it sounds much less threatening than I'd like and so he merely shakes his head...and then he drops his smile.

"Tell me, Nu...Were you the one responsible for it?" - he suddenly asks, his voice much colder than it was before.

"What the hell are you even talking about?" - I ask in response.

"When I found you, you were near Kagutsuchi's NOL branch...Why were you there?" - Tager asks. This is quickly turning into an interrogation and I don't like it one bit.

"I was checking something, that's all. Just tell me what the hell you want from me!" - I demand, drawing even more attention towards us.

"Yesterday, a whole squadron of NOL officers were found dead near the local NOL branch and you were sighted there earlier...Were you the one responsible for it?" - the giant of a man repeats...Wait, what?

Did...Did Nu kill them? Or was it Lambda? I was too distracted to pay much attention to it, but they could have attacked those officers and they have no qualms about killing people for their own reasons. It would explain some things, but...No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly. Maybe it was someone else.

"How did they die?" - I ask, hoping for an answer that doesn't mention numerous stab wounds.

"We don't know. Some had multiple stab wounds, but none of them were lethal. Aside from that, there were no other wounds found on their bodies. It's as if they all just...dropped dead." - Tager replies, making me heave a sigh of relief.

"I swear that wasn't me. Why would you even assume that it's my work?" - I ask. The man seems to relax as well, but he's still a little tense.

"I'm sorry, I simply wanted to make sure that I wasn't wrong about you. You may have some combat experience and a short temper, but I can tell that you don't have what it takes to take a life...not yet." - he explains, finally dropping that threatening tone of voice.

" _He couldn't be more wrong if he tried. You killed me two times already and you were going to do it one more time, didn't you? You didn't last for long, but that's okay! It can happen to anyone! We'll just try again later._ " - Nu says, giving me a reminder I did not need.

"While I'd like to stay here for a little longer, I don't think Professor Kokonoe is going to appreciate that. This won't be the last time we meet and, as unfortunate as that is, I believe that another fight will be unavoidable." - the giant of a man says before he stands up and starts walking towards the exit once he leaves enough money on the table to pay the bill.

Well, isn't that just great? However unwilling he is to resort to violence, he's also stupidly loyal to that bitch and I really don't look forward to fighting him again. I don't think he was even trying to kill me back then...even if he went a little overboard with it.

Once we're done with our food, we stand up and head towards the exist as w-

I quickly run outside and look around in search of those twins, but it looks like they have already disappeared into the crowd, which is impressive when they were wearing such bright clothes. Normally, I'd brush them off as a pair of nosy children, but there was something...odd about them and the way they immediately ducked when I saw them.

" _Ragna, what's wrong?_ " - Nu asks with surprising distress evident in her voice.

"...No, it's nothing." - I lie. I don't know if she believes me or not, but she doesn't say anything else and that's enough for me

I should just get going and forget about it for now. I have other things to worry about.


	46. Reverie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd person POV.
> 
> I went back to Calamity Trigger for a bit and Noel gets pretty darn depressing during her story mode.
> 
> For the last bit, I decided to go with the official translation.

 

Two delicate fingers grip a quill before dipping its tip into a little jar. With all the excessive ink removed, Noel moves her hand to begin writing...only to stop an inch above the sheet of paper.

Much to her dismay, the inspiration she found is quickly giving way to doubts and fears. This isn't the first time those feelings get in her way, but they have become much stronger in the past few days. That officer's words have yet to leave the poor girl's mind and she still finds it hard to believe his words despite having more than enough evidence to back them up. The Imperator wants her dead, with no trial to be had.

Was it all for nothing? Were her efforts to help her family wasted? Is there any point to her existence?

When the Vermillion family had decided to adopt her, they had enough trouble to deal with and Noel only made it worse. That is exactly why she had to join the military academy, but if it weren't for Bolverk, she wouldn't have passed the entrance exams with neither a strong build nor proper academic knowledge. Of course, the Nox Nyctores alone wasn't enough for them to let her stay, which meant that Tsubaki had to waste her time on the blonde when she couldn't do something on her own. In addition to that, Noel's presence annoyed Jin and so he and the redhead couldn't spend as much time together. Only Carl and Makoto weren't somehow inconvenienced by her, but the former never had much time to spent with them and the latter probably would have been better off without the blonde pestering her.

Even her promotion to the rank of a Lieutenant had nothing to do with her accomplishments. NOL simply needed someone who was capable of taking care of Jin in case he went rogue without risking losing anyone important like the Black Knight. They could even shift the blame onto her if needed instead of letting anyone know that one of their most celebrated heroes disobeyed them. It could have been anyone who just happened to be chosen by Bolverk.

Perhaps it would have been better if she didn't exist. Edgar and Claire would have one less person to worry about, Tsubaki and Jin would have been closer, Makoto would have a little more peace and quiet in her academy days, Nu would have obtained the Azure Grimoire and Bang wouldn't have to take care of his enemies.

The urge to simply activate Bolverk and let it cleanse her mind of these thoughts almost overwhelms Noel, but the fear of consequences is much stronger. At this point, her death won't mean much, but Ronin-gai would be in danger as well. The Imperator lost all interest in the people of Ikaruga after the war, but the rest of the Library would be happy to find an excuse to get rid of them. To hide not one, but two or even three Nox Nyctores and their wielders is more than enough to put them in danger.

With her will to write poems gone, the former Lieutenant puts away the quill and ink before standing up and leaving the room. Some fresh air should be enough to clear her head. It's almost night, but it's safe to be outside so late here.

Having stayed in Ronin-gai for over a week, Noel can't help but admire its residents. NOL may not be trying to exterminate them, but they aren't helping them either and yet it doesn't seem to bother its people much. It would be foolish of the girl to think that there are no hard feelings, but they are all focused on actually living out their lives rather than wasting time cursing the Library or bickering among themselves. She wouldn't mind living here although she has to somehow make herself useful first. The blonde isn't sure what she can do to help them though. She's not very good at socializing, she doesn't have many skills and the idea of becoming a ninja just seems silly to her.

Once again, Noel's mind wanders elsewhere as she thinks of Tsubaki and Makoto. It's been so long since she has seen either one and it's been quite some time since the last letter she received. She wants to see them again. It doesn't matter how they would spend their time together. Even sitting on the ground and chatting the whole day through would be enough...but what would they do when they see her? At the end of the day, they both serve the Imperator and neither has much of a choice here. The beastkin needs to support her family and the redhead is a part of the Yayoi family.

Before more unpleasant thoughts can invade her mind, something catches the former Lieutenant's eyes. With such bright colors, they stick out like a sore thumb and while it is already dark enough to make them harder to make out, Noel instantly recognizes them.

"Nu...Lambda..."

The twins stop walking and turn to face her. While Lambda doesn't show any visible reaction, Nu's annoyed expression is quickly replaced with one of surprise. For a second, it turns into a scowl, but it doesn't seem to be related to Noel's presence and it's gone before the taller girl can say anything about it.

"Noel? So, you did manage to reach Bang...That's a rel- GET OFF ME!" - the white-haired girl cries out when Noel's arms wrap around her and her look-alike.

"You're alive!" - Noel says, relieved to see both of them in one piece. Knowing that she didn't get them killed because she couldn't bring herself to harm others doesn't exactly put her mind at ease, but it certainly improves her mood.

...until she realizes what she's doing, prompting her to immediately release both girls. This is the second time it happens under very similar circumstances with the only real difference being that Jin didn't get hurt this time. She never invaded anyone's personal space like this aside from her friends, whom she knew very well. They did save her life, more than once in Nu's case, and they had to share the same bed once, but that certainly wasn't enough to justify such behavior...was it? She feels safe in their presence and while Lambda is still a little...off for Noel to be at ease, she doesn't have much trouble talking to the white-haired girl.

"Do you always do that whenever someone leaves for a day or two?" - Nu asks rhetorically, glaring at Noel half-heartedly. Even with a frown on her face, it's still clear that she's relieved to see the former Lieutenant alive as well.

"N-No, I was just...What are you doing here anyway?" - Noel asks in an attempt to change subjects.

"I wanted to make sure that bastard is okay and...Well, if I'm gonna try saving someone's ass instead of using what could have been my only opportunity to get the thing I needed, I should at least make sure that they are actually alive." - the white-haired girl replies and, while it may not be her intention, her words make the taller of the three feel a pang of guilt.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." - the wielder of Bolverk apologizes, averting her gaze as more nasty thoughts slowly creep into her mind.

"Sorry for what?"

"H-Huh?"

"Why are you apologizing? It's not like you knew it would happen. Why do you feel responsible for something out of your control?" - Nu asks with a slightly less irritated tone.

"But...If you didn't save me, you would have obtained the Azure an-"

"And you'd be dead because I decided to be a selfish bastard. Who the hell do you think I am? Even if I knew for sure that the Azure Grimoire is exactly what I'm looking for, I would never let someone die like this. I swear your heart is in the right place, but you're so damn stupid." - the annoyed girl interrupts Noel, but she doesn't actually sound angry.

"I...I...I didn't think of that." - the green-eyed blonde mumbles, just barely resisting the urge to apologize once again. Tsubaki always told her that she apologized too much and while she no longer does that for everything regardless of whether she is at fault or not, she does feel sorry for causing trouble even if Nu herself doesn't seem to mind it too much.

"Good grief...You really need to get your shit together. Anyway, is that crybaby still here? How is he?" - Nu asks. It takes the taller girl a few seconds to realize that she's talking about Jin. As far as Noel knows, nobody has ever called Jin something like that and it doesn't make their relationship any less confusing for her.

"U-Um, yes, he's still recovering. He should be fine in a few days, but it's hard to convince him to stay...Nu, Lambda...Can I...Can I ask you for something?" - Noel asks, almost squeezing the last few words out of herself.

"Huh? Is that bastard getting weird again? I'll just beat the crap out of h-"

"No no no, it's not that! Really, Major has nothing to do with it...You are still looking for that Grimoire, right?" - the wielder of Bolverk asks.

"Well, yeah, but apparently it's no longer there." - the white-haired girl replies.

"What if I told you that I know where it is? I-I mean I am not completely sure about it, but unless it's been destroyed, there is only one location where it could have been moved. If I...If I helped you find it, will you help me in return?" - Noel asks, gaining a little more courage with each word. This is a gamble, but it was one she was willing to take.

"Illogical. Continued existence of subject under these conditions is unlikely." - Lambda says, her voice completely devoid of any discernible emotions.

"Trust me, I really appreciate the thought, but you're better off staying here. Things didn't go well the last time you tried to help. What makes you think that it's gonna work out better this time?" - Nu asks.

"I know that this is dangerous, but I have to make sure that...I have to make sure that my parents are safe. I promise I'll be careful this time! The item you're looking for should have been moved to Ookoto and I know that city well. Please, I have to do this!" - the former Lieutenant pleads, heedless of the twins' warnings.

"...You ain't backing down, are you? Alright, I'll help you, but don't start crying when things get rough, got it? That's one of the last thing I wanna see."

* * *

Eerie green glow fills the ruins of an odd temple, its architecture unlike anything this world has ever seen. A suit of armor rests in the center of the room, motionless but far from lifeless. A consciousness and a soul reside within this body and with every passing second, the hatred that fills his mind grows stronger.

Freedom.

That is his wish and yet it was so far out of his reach. It would have been so much easier if he could simply break out of his shackles with brute force, but unlike the golden chains that bind him to the temple by his hair, the bindings he loathes are incorporeal and impossible to sever even with the power his body possessed. No matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot attain freedom on his own.

That is why he has to be patient. Until the time comes for him to make his first move, he must wait, no matter how long it may take. After all, time had no effect on him and so he could afford to take such approach to his problem. Unfortunately, some things were simply out of his control. He could already feel its presence. It was not the first time it happened and it won't be the last, but it has never appeared so early before. Of course, it was of no concern to him and so he feels no need to observe its actions.

The day his sword severs her thread of fate could not come any sooner. There is nothing that could possibly change this outcome and he will crush anything that tries to stand in his way. The end will come, for he is the Susano'o of Mikoto.


	47. What lies ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's something I can't quite decide that won't affect the plot too much (at least not in the grand scheme of things), but it will affect how things are going to reach a certain point.

 

With a faint sigh, I sit down and assume a cross-legged posture on one of the cushions in the room. I'm fairly used to travelling at this point, but it never stops feeling good to have some rest after walking for so long, not even when my body isn't actually that tired. I've noticed that on the first day of this mess. Instead of having sore feet or anything of that sort, I just feel like I should rest. I guess I'm mentally exhausted? Either way, not having to worry about stamina is pretty damn convenient and it will probably be one of the only things I'll miss about this whole thing. Of course, none of this is enough to outweight all the horrible shit I have to put up with. Nu alone makes it a shitty experience I'll want to forget about even if that's impossible at this point.

Pointless bitching aside, I still don't know what to think of that idiot's proposal. She has already told me where I should look for the Azure Grimoire, but there's no guarantee that it hasn't been destroyed, stolen or simply moved elsewhere. Maybe I can convince Rachel to sniff it out for me. It's supposed to be a mass of seithr or something along those lines, so, maybe she can find it...Then again, she has no reason to help me and even if she did, I bet she would try to get something out of it and I'd rather not know what she has in mind for me. For all I know, she'll force me to work for her until I repay the debt and only then give me that damn thing...assuming she won't dangle it in front of me with no intention of actually handing it over just to get some kicks out of it. I'm still not sure if that maid uniform was supposed to be a joke or she was serious about it.

I think asking the former Lieutenant some questions is gonna give me more results than trying to think of something myself.

"Are you REALLY sure you wanna go? That Bang guy might be a goddamn idiot, but I'm sure he can keep you safe. The Library won't try looking for you two here unless someone rats you out and that's about as likely as a cold day in hell." - I ask again, just to be sure.

"Yes, I am. I've already told you why." - Noel replies. Right, her parents. I don't remember mine and so I can't really relate to that, but I can see why she'd risk her life. If my family was in danger, I'd do everything I can to protect them...even Jin.

"You have a reason to do this, sure, but that ain't gonna be enough. You really don't like violence, but it's inevitable at this point. We won't get anywhere if you freeze like a dumbass while a bunch of Librarian dogs are out for your blood." - I warn the green-eyed blonde and once again, she has this guilty look and it's getting on my nerves.

"I...I wasn't prepared for that...I just couldn't...What makes my life more valuable than theirs? They are simply doing their job just like I do...used to do...What if they aren't doing this out of their own free will too? Any one of them could be another me...or even another Tsubaki or Makoto...I-I'm not saying that I won't fight if there's no other way to get out of trouble, but..." - Noel tries to explain and I think I can see where she's coming from.

" _Geez, someone's overthinking it...If someone gets in the way, then they are an enemy that must be terminated. Details are irrelevant to Nu!_ " - Nu chimes in, about as cheerful as she usually is when talking about needless slaughter.

"Illogical. All obstacles must be eliminated." - Lambda says, clearly making the other blonde feel uneasy. I'd be worried too if I didn't know why she thinks so.

" _See? She's just a cheap knock-off, but she gets it. Maybe we can get along...She's not getting Ragna anytime soon though. You're all mine...forever and ever..._ " - the original Prime Field Device purrs. Now THAT makes me shiver. I'm glad that they can't communicate directly or else I'd have two psychos to deal with...at least I think they can't.

"...A-Anyway, do you have a plan or something? I'm not convinced just yet, but I'm not gonna keep talking about this all day long." - I ask, pulling that idiot out of whatever thoughts she was absorbed in.

"U-Um, well, I don't have it all planned out yet, but...we should start by taking the first ship that sails to Ookoto. It shouldn't take more than a day to reach the city and once we're there, we'll have to be careful. You don't have to worry about it, but I have to keep a low profile. There are more NOL officers patrolling the streets of Ookoto than in any other city. Fortunately, I know the city well and the standard uniform of the fourth division should make it harder for them to identify me. Unfortunately, I don't know how we can enter the headquarters. A magical barrier protects it from intruders and they won't let us pass without a proper identification..." - Noel replies. I should have expected Ookoto of all places to have this level of security. NOL does have mages working for them like that masked bastard. At least it's not Ishana.

"Say, how strong is that barrier? Maybe we can break in." - I ask, earning a worried look from the former Lieutenant.

"It hasn't really been tested like that, but it should be durable. Fortunately, since it's impossible to properly maintain the barrier all the time without potentially losing the only people who can do this work, it gets weaker towards the end of the week and it's completely removed before a new one is created...Um...Nu...A-Are you sure you want to do this? Simply being there will be enough for them to arrest you, but to break into the headquarters..." - she asks. The Imperator might be chasing after ghosts, but he will have a pretty damn good reason to send people coming for my ass in this situation.

"Eh, I've got nothing to lose. Besides, it's not like we know that the Azure Grimoire is there. If neither of us senses anything from a safe distance, we'll just leave." - I reply. I'm not sure if I'll be relieved or pissed off if that thing isn't there.

"...I guess that makes sense..." - Noel mumbles, probably not entirely convinced either.

"Hey, I've been wondering...Where the hell is Bang?" - I ask. It actually feels really weird not to have him constantly yelling or snoring here.

"Oh, um, he left for the Kaka village. Apparently the villagers have been unable to properly feed themselves lately and some of them have been attacked by monsters coming from the forest. He should be back soon though." - the former Lieutenant replies.

This was bound to happen sooner or later. I remember Jubei's warning regarding that damn forest and it looks like it's only getting worse. The Kaka village never was an exceptionally prosperous village, but if the seithr keeps spreading, they will quickly lose their only reliable source of food and later they might even lose their home. They will be forced to migrate, but that's not gonna be an easy task when the Library really doesn't want them to live in their cities. The beastkin have enough problems as it is. I wonder if Saya can conjure more of those skulls to take care of all that seithr...But without knowing what exactly her current condition entails, I can't say if that's a good idea or not.

Saya...I'll have to return soon. I'm still glad that she's back even if she's now some sort of a goddess of death with some obvious problems. I wonder what will Jin think of this? I really hope he won't go apeshit again, whether Yukianesa is responsible for it or not. He'll have something to tell her, that's for sure. I doubt she's gonna make him beg for forgiveness or anything, but she's not gonna let that bastard get away with his bullshit either...There's also the possibility that she might let some things slip and then I'll be the one in deep shit, but I think I can trust her not to do that. I can't even imagine how awkward that reunion will be, especially if Lambda and Noel will be there too.

"Nu? Is everything alright?" - the green-eyed blonde asks, tearing me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. Jin is still in his room, right?" - I ask. He's probably sound asleep right now.

"I-I think so..." - she replies with a yawn.

"...You should go take a nap. We've got a busy day tomorrow and I'm not gonna carry you around if you fall asleep halfway through." - I suggest and Noel obeys without a word.

With that out of the way, I stand up and walk towards the room Jin's supposed to be resting in. I still feel guilty about that whole thing. If I wasn't so careless, he wouldn't be here recovering from multiple stab wounds that really should have killed him. I mean I'm glad that he survived Nu's attack, but...Whatever, he's alive and that's all that matters. I'll just beat the crap outta him later, this time without any psychotic bitches getting in the way.

"Alright, stay here for now." - I tell Lambda to make sure Jin won't have another outburst at the sight of another girl with his sister's face.

I carefully slide open the do-

Where the hell is he?!


	48. Don't teach me like that, Nu!

I frantically look around the room looking for that bastard, but Jin's obviously not here. There isn't even anything that could suggest he ever was here in the first place. The lack of Yukianesa is what seals the deal for me. He just took the damn ice blade and left! What was he thinking?! Even if he wasn't wounded, it's still dangerous to leave unless the Imperator gets his shit together!

" _Ragna? What's wrong, Ragna? Nu's getting some bad readings from your mental activity..._ " - Nu asks, but I'm too busy to respond.

How did he even leave? The last time I've seen him, he was in no condition to quietly walk out of the room and leave the house! Why hasn't anyone noticed him trying to escape anyway? Hell, he even took his time to tidy up the room! It had to happen after Bang left and before I came, which means that...

"Nu! Is everything alright?" - Noel asks as she quickly approaches me. How did sh..Oh.

I look at the hand holding the now damaged door and finally notice how tight my grip on it is...and then I remember what the problem is and focus my attention on that blonde idiot. Unless I'm missing something, she should have been the only one left to look after that crybaby...and I saw her aimlessly walking outside...

"You...Where. Were. You. When Jin left?" - I ask through clenched teeth. A look of surprise crosses her face.

"W-When Jin left? Is he...He's not here?!" - the former Lieutenant almost screams before running into his room and trying to find the man in question to no avail.

"WHY did you leave him alone?" - I ask a little louder, making Noel jump.

"I-I-I was just thinking o- I was a little distracted a-and then I..." - the green-eyed blonde stammers something, which doesn't help at all.

"You of all people should know how dangerous it is for him to leave now! The Hero of Ikaruga ain't gonna remain unnoticed for long and that's assuming he's gonna bother hiding! That dumbass is just asking for trouble! Why didn't you stay and make sure tha- SHIT!"

I press my hand against my eyepatch when I feel searing pain in my right eye, making me silently curse under my breath. I can hear them both rushing to help me before I can collapse onto the floor. It doesn't take long for some mucous substance to start leaking from my right eye. I'd be more concerned if I haven't gone through worse and I'm pretty sure I felt something like this before. It still hurts like a bitch though.

"Overheating...Damage: minimal." - Lambda mutters. It doesn't feel like it...then again, she might be talking about something only Prime Field Devices can experience.

"A-Are you alright?" - Noel asks, which is a pretty dumb question all things considered, but I nod anyway.

" _You really shouldn't get yourself so worked up...There's no thread of any lasting damage, but it's harder to keep track of everything when you're like this...Lemme fix this..._ " - Nu says and the pain starts fading away until it's almost completely gone.

...I should just calm down and take it easy. Even if Jin is wounded, he still has a Nox and a very dangerous one at that. If he needs to escape, he can just hop onto one of those flying ice blades to get away. He's not some rookie who shits his pants at the sight of blood...which might actually be a problem. The Hero of Ikaruga walking around and killing his comrades like it's nothing...Yeah, that ain't gonna go well, with or without Yukianesa's influence.

Either way, there's no need to panic. I'm sure Jin knows what he's getting into and there's no way in hell I can find him right now. Whatever's going through his head is completely beyond me and there's no point in trying to understand him.

"Sorry 'bout that...It's been a long day, okay?" - I apologize as I wipe away what I assume is seithr those guys pumped into Nu's eye. Then again, the last time I've seen liquified seithr, it was mostly black while this stuff is red. All I know is that this isn't not blood.

"I think you should rest for a bit..." - Noel suggests before rubbing her eyes. Sounds like a good idea to me...but...

"I've gotta do something first. It shouldn't take much time...or at least I hope so..."

* * *

" _So, what do you want to try learning this time?_ " - Nu asks.

"I need to work on my defence, so, how about that green barrier? I prefer to beat the crap outta something before it can kick my ass, but it never hurts to have this option when shit gets real." - I reply. While I don't have to worry about getting killed, I can still get incapacitated and once that happens, there's no knowing what comes after it. That barrier doesn't require me to hold a sword, which is great considering how often that damn thing breaks.

" _Hm...I guess I can make it work...but I need to isolate the signal I'm looking for. I want you to block incoming attacks until I tell you to stop. Nu would be more than happy to do all the work, but I have to focus on your mental activity...Oh, I know! How about using that cheap knock-off over there? She should be able to handle this._ " - the girl in my head suggests.

"...Alright. Anything else?" - I ask.

" _Make sure she doesn't get predictable and, no matter what happens, do not try dodging._ " - she replies. Sounds simple enough.

"Hey, Lambda, mind helping me with something'?" - I ask the replica standing next to me.

"Awaiting orders." - the blonde replies. Well then...how should I word it...

"I want you to shoot your swords at me from whatever angle you want. Just keep me on my toes and try not to damage anything around us. Got it?" - I instruct her and she nods with some hesitation.

With that out of the way, I walk a few feet away from the girl and pull out a replica of my sword just in time to block an incoming attack. To my surprise, the green projectile shatters on impact. I guess she's trying to make sure I don't get hurt either? I would think more about it, but five much larger blades descending from above draw my attention and so I quickly raise my sword. As I get showered with green shards that quickly fade into nothingness, I hear more portals open from behind me. As soon as the last swords falls onto my own, I turn around and almost bat the new set of projectiles, but then I remember what I'm trying to do here and block the attack instead.

"Y'know, this isn't too ba-"

I raise my sword again, but this new giant sword has enough force behind it to put a large dent in my weapon. Instead of disappearing like its predecessors, it moves back into the portal it came from before plunging downwards again. Even with Nu's enhanced strength, it feels like my knees are about to give out at any moment. Normally, I would simply move out of the way, but I have to keep blocking.

I see Lambda raise her arm once more before she suddenly ducks. While the giant sword finally vanishes, another rift in space appears, this time dangerously close to my feet. When a large circular blade emerges from it and starts to slowly move closer, I lower my sword with its flat side turned towards the new threat. Shit, if this keeps going, I'll have nothing to block with and I don't think I wanna try doing it with my bare hands.

Thankfully, the circular blade retreats back whence it came from before my own weapon is reduced to nothing. This time, she raises both of her arms to create a much larger portal right in front of her, giving me just enough time to raise my sword before she swings her arms outward and a dozen of swords emerge from the portal. Like the first batch, they aren't durable, but the sheer number of them makes me uncomfortable and they are spread out enough to force me to reposition my sword to avoid getting hit.

As if that wasn't enough, I hear the distinctive sound of space being torn open right behind me. I throw a quick glance behind me and see a sword slowly emerging from a portal and it's aimed right at the back of my head. Unlike the others, this one is black and red rather than green and white, which means that Nu is the one who summoned it. What is that bitch trying to pull here?! It's like I don't have enough shit to deal with! Unless I dodge, that damn sword is going to lodge itself into my head, but I can't do that until she says it's done.

At least a minute passes and the barrage of swords doesn't look like it's gonna stop anytime soon. The same goes for Nu's sword, which hasn't moved much since the last time I've seen it. She's clearly messing with me, but knowing her, I really doubt that sword is as brittle as Lambda's. Maybe she wants me to ignore it? She did tell me to keep blocking no matter what happens and I don't think blocking her attack is going to work with my sword in such a shitty state.

I turn my head to look at the sword behind me one more time just in time to see it suddenly emerge from the portal completely...and to my relief, it's just short enough to stop a mere inch away from my head. Lambda stops her assault as well.

" _Aaand that should be it! Good job! I knew you could do it!_ " - Nu cheerfully praises me as if she wasn't about to ram a sword into my brain.

"Are you out of your damn mi-"

Before I can finish that pointless question, I'm knocked flat on my ass with a yelp I'm certainly not proud of. When I raise my head, I see Lambda with at least a dozen summoned swords ready to be launched at me at her command.

"Lambda, that's enough!" - I almost shout at the replica before remembering what time it is and try to keep it down, but it still ends up being pretty damn loud.

I heave a sigh of relief when the swords vanish without a trace. They weren't even trying to kill me...well, at least Lambda wasn't and yet she gave me this much shit. I really don't wanna see what both Prime Field Devices would be like in a real fight and I certainly don't wanna to be on the receiving end of it.

" _Ragna..._ "

I quickly turn my head to the right when I hear another sword being summoned, but without my own sword, I don't have anything to block it with. It's moving too fast for me to dodge and so I raise my arms to make sure it doesn't hit my head, creating the same green barrier I've seen them use. The black and red projectile harmlessly bounces off the barrier and I don't even feel the impact. That's pretty neat I guess.

" _NOW we're done!_   _Just make sure to angle it properly since it doesn't cover you completely. Also, it can be broken and it's hard to keep up, so, try not to rely on it too much!_ " - Nu advises me.

"That's helpful 'n all, but can you not pull this kind of shit again?" - I ask, both angry and tired at this point.

" _Oh don't worry, I know what I'm doing...That reminds me...there's something we should be doing right now...but can you try being a little more gentle this time? You put too much force into each thrust and I end up growing numb to it too quickly...I think it would be better if we start off slowly and then gradually pick up the pace!_ "

...

Urgh...


	49. Fall victim to the ultimate embrace!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish BlazBlue characters' hobbies were brought up a little more often. Some might seem odd, but then there are some that sound completely normal for the character in question.

When I wake up, I hear someone playing shamisen.

With my lifestyle, I rarely get to hear music and when I do get such an opportunity, it's always drowned out by everything else and so I can't exactly listen to it. This isn't the first time I can actually do it without any interferences, but it's been a while since the last time and so I just keep my eye closed as I listen to the relaxing...

...Wait...Why the hell would someone be playing music right next to someone who's sleeping?

I sit up and quickly spot the source of this music. It's a rather pretty-looking man of solid build with long silver hair wearing a black sleeveless kimono. He's sitting near the open door leading outside. Lambda is sitting to his left with a blanket draped over her shoulders and she's watching him attentively like a little child...which isn't too far from what she is. To the man's right is a woman with light purple hair tied into a topknot wearing a pink kimono and goddamn, she's tall. I can see that even from this dista-

I immediately spring to my feet and drag Noel out of her futon, making sure to keep her behind me. Nu still hasn't "woken up" yet and so I can't use my sword, but what I have should be enough. I don't know why the hell they moved us, but that's never a good thing.

"H-Huh? What...What's going on?" - Noel asks, still drowsy from the sudden awakening. The man stops playing and Lambda turns to face us, but the woman doesn't even move.

"We've got some company." - I reply, making sure to keep my eyes on the strangers.

"Oh, so you've already woken up. Did you sleep well?" - the woma...No, that's certainly a man's voice. That explains his stature.

"What do you want from us?" - I ask without bothering to answer his own question. Now he turns to face me. I'm not even surprised to see all the make up on his face.

"Not one for idle chit-chat, are you, my dear? What a shame. Well then...If you will..." - the man says, prompting his companion to stand up, bow and leave. I don't like how the replica almost visibly deflates upon his departure, but I've got other things to worry about.

"Cut the crap and tell me why we're here before I ruin that pretty face of yours." - I demand, turning the man's subtle smile into a frown.

"Now you're being rude...but that's understandable. If I were you, I wouldn't be willing to cooperate either. My apologies. I am Amane Nishiki, I travel the world as part of a dancing troupe and you are here at the request of my acquaintance. A girl with white hair, red eyes, an eyepatch...You fit the description given to me." - Amane replies.

Given how calm Lambda is, I really shouldn't be on edge. If he was a threat, she'd be busy trying to shove swords up his ass. Besides, if he's just some performer, then I can let myself relax a little...but I'm still expecting him to pull something. That guy somehow managed to move us to a completely different location without any of us noticing it. I don't recall eating or drinking anything before going to sleep and I'm not even sure if Nu can be drugged. Magic's gotta be involved here.

" _Loading complete...Hm? Did I miss something?...I've detected a major shift in our geolocation since the last session. We're not in Ronin-gai._ " - Nu says, stating the obvious.

"Wait...Amane Nishiki...I think I've about you before." - Noel says, obviously pleasing the effeminate man.

"Ah, finally, some recognition...and from such a lovely dear too. I apologize for changing subjects out of the blue, but I have a proposal for you. Would you mind joining my troupe? You seem like the perfect fit for it!" - he asks the former Lieutenant, clearly ecstatic at the thought of it.

"Join your troupe? But...I don't think I have what it takes..." - the green-eyed blonde replies.

"We're also a little busy here." - I add as I sit back down. This conversation is gonna take a while

"Is your errand so urgent you need your brother for it?" - Amane asks...Brother? What the hell is h-

"B-B-Brother?!" - Noel repeats and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's one wrong word away from blasting someone's brains off.

"Hey hey hey, you're in deep shit as it is, remember?" - I remind the girl before she can do anything stupid. That manages to calm her down a little, but she's still pretty damn tense.

"Sister, not brother." - Lambda corrects the man.

"Sister? Oh my. My mistake! I assumed you were a boy because...Uh, let's just get back on topic!" - Amane almost shouts with wide open blue eyes.

"...Right. Who is that "acquaintance" of yours and what do they want from me?" - I ask.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" - the purple-haired man suggests as he stands up...Her?

As if on cue, someone opens the door behind me, revealing...one of those girls I've seen back in Orient Town. She looks at someone out of view, growing more confused as seconds pass without anything happening. At least now I know what those little shits were doing there.

"Uh, miss? Leader is calling you!" - the...girl...the child says. I can't tell what their gender is and, after seeing Amane, I really can't assume anything.

"Leader is calling you!" - the other child parrots as they sticks their head out from behind their twin.

"Huh? I-I'm sorry, I couldn't tell." - t...wait...

To my surprise, Saya walks into the room with a little bag in her hands...which she quickly throws at Amane for him to catch it the moment her eyes catch the sight of Noel. Before I can even say anything, the goddess of death closes the distance between her and the green-eyed blonde and stops an inch away from the poor girl's face.

"Who are you?" - Saya asks. Shit, she's using that voice again...This might not go well.

"Um...I...I...I'm Noel Vermillion..." - Noel barely manages to squeeze out. With every passing second, she grows more and more uncomfortable. For a second, I see Amane's smile falter, but I don't say anything.

"I am Hades...Hades Izanami...Pleased to meet you!" - the purple-haired girl finally introduces herself, now with her real voice and a beaming smile. I simply shrug when the former Lieutenant looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Didn't you tell me you couldn't leave? What gives?" - I ask my sister, who turns away from Noel to face me.

"Oh, that...Uh, well, something more important came up and I had to act." - she replies.

"That doesn't explain anything." - I say in response.

"Well, let's just say that a...little puppy gave me a good reason to leave." - Saya says with a mysterious smile...Great, more cryptic shit she's not gonna explain.

"A-Are you two related too?" - Noel asks with some hesitation. Man, this whole thing's gotta be pretty damn weird to her, seeing three girls with her face in the same room.

"Yeah, we are." - I reply.

"...Are there any more of your sisters I should be aware of?" - she asks with a hopeless look on her face. A pretty damn good question all things considered.

"No, that's it...I think...Anyway, why did you ask this asshole to bring us here?" - I ask my sister.

"Don't say things like that! Amane is a nice guy! There's no need to call him names!" - Saya defends the man in question. No "Mister" this time, huh?

"Thank you, my dear! The feeling is mutual." - Amane says as the purple-haired girl, handing the bag back to her when she suddenly appears next to him without even batting an eye at her trick. Noel, on the other hand, almost jumps when that happens.

"I'm pleased to hear that. It's always great to have you as my company." - the goddess of death says before reaching into the bag and pulling out...a piece of candy?

It quickly draws Lambda's attention and Saya, upon seeing another one of her look-alikes staring at her, silently offers her some. With some hesitation, the red-eyed blonde carefully grabs one before she eats it. She certainly likes it if her expression is anything to go by and so they start munching on these sweet treats together. When my sister offers the candy to me and Noel, we both wordlessly decline her offer and she shrugs in response.

"...We're getting distracted again. Why are we here?" - I try asking again.

"I'm just trying to help you. You're heading to Ookoto, but there's a bunch of stuff getting in your way, right?" - she asks...how did she...

"H-How do you know that?" - Noel asks the question I had in mind.

"That's a pretty damn good question. I don't remember you being there." - I add.

"You should go take a nap. We've got a busy day tomorrow and I'm not gonna carry you around if you fall asleep halfway through." - one of the twins says, doing her best impression of my current voice.

"I think you should rest for a bit..." - the other twin says, impersonating Noel instead...Am I really so used to this shit that I can actually tell the difference?

" _Sorry about that, I wasn't really paying much attention to our surroundings. I'm more used to killing everyone within my range than looking out for people like these._ " - the girl in my head apologizes. To be fair, it would be hard to tell who's spying and who's just living nearby, so, no hard feelings here...but I've got plenty of things to hate her for and so this changes nothing.

"So you had these brats stalk me and eavesdrop on our conversations? Are you sure you're a dancing troupe? Unless I'm missing something, spying isn't something you guys are supposed to be doing." - I point out.

"It's always good to know what the public thinks of your performances." - Amane replies with a shit-eating grin on his stupid face.

"I call bullshit...but I don't have the time to waste on that. Continue." - I tell my sister before she can reach out into her bag for more candy. As much as I want her to enjoy herself, it's still not healthy.

"You're heading to Ookoto and so are we. That's why I thought it would be better if we departed together." - the goddess finishes her explanation. I really don't want to doubt my sister of all people, but something tells me she's not telling the whole truth.

"Unfortunately, there's a little problem. You're Lieutenant Noel Vermillion of the NOL Praetorian Guard, aren't you?" - the effeminate man asks. Noel's body immediately tenses up as soon as she hears him utter her title.

"Huh? What's wrong? Am I not aware of something?" - Saya asks. All things considered, I can't blame her for being out of touch with things like these.

"The Library wants that poor girl's head. If you told me that she was accompanying the girl you were looking for, I would have told you so. That changes everything. I doubt we'll even make it past the port security." - he replies. I don't think we've gone over that part of our plan.

"Hm...Then what should we do?" - the purple-haired girl asks.

" _We could just kill whoever gets in our way and take a ship by force. No resources needed and, if we can have Izanami help us, we won't have any sort of resistance to worry about._ " - Nu suggests. It...is a viable strategy, but not one I can approve of.

"...I think I have an idea..." - the purple-haired man mumbles before pulling out a...stick? A very pretty one, bu-

The moment I hear Noel yelp, I turn towards her to see what looks like numerous strips of fabric forming a flower under her feet. I quickly push her out of th- Damn it, too late!

"The hell are you doing?!" - I cry out as the flower's petals wrap around both of us.

I try to tear the damn thing open, but with our bodies pressed together like this, it's very hard to move. A familiar sound of space being torn open informs me of Lambda's attempts to free us, but that doesn't go anywhere...Shit, is it getting smaller? It is! At this rate, it's gonna crush us!

"Amane Nishiki, what is the meaning of this?!" - I hear Saya ask and she sounds pretty damn angry, as she should be.

Before he can say anything, the flower opens with a bright flash, relieving us of that awful pressure. I immediately roll off Noel's body, letting her get as much air in her lungs as she needs while I sit up to glare at that ba- Wait...am I seeing thing or did everything become bigger? I certainly feel...

" _Irregularities detected...Um, Ragna?_ "

Goddamnit, Amane!


	50. Diminish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 50th chapter...It's been several months since I began writing this. Time sure does fly. And this is still Act 1 out of 3, which makes me worry a bit, but then again, the chapters aren't very long. I wish the breaks between chapters weren't so long lately.

 

"Amane, you son of a bitch, what the hell did you do?!"

Ever since I got my ass handed to me in that basement, I've been put through a lot of stupid shit with barely any breaks in-between...and now that bastard turned me and Noel into children? Noel certainly looks like a child now and it's safe to say that I'm in the same state.

Now that Noel is like this, the similarities between her and Saya are even more apparent. If her hair wasn't short, she'd be identical...and that's creepin' me out a little. Nu looks like Saya, but there are enough differences in their appearance to tell that it's not my sister and that's without even taking into account her personality. Saya herself notices this too and she looks...conflicted.

Whatever the hell that crossdressing idiot did to us, it's not just age regression. Instead of Nu's cape and skin-tight suit, I'm wearing a short-sleeved white robe that doesn't even reach my knees. The eyepatch is still there though, which raises a few questions that will probably remain unanswered. Noel, on the other hand, is wearing a white shirt with long sleeves, a red tie, white stockings and a blue skirt.

"I was simply trying to help, my dear." - Amane replies with that stupid smile of his.

"And how on earth is this "helping"?!" - I ask, but before I can summon a sword to throw at that idiot, Noel grabs me by my shoulders.

"P-Please don't do that!" - the other victim of that asshole's trick pleads me.

"Weren't you gonna blow his head off for mistaking you for a guy?" - I remind the girl. She tries to retort, but nothing coherent comes out.

"My my, you're awfully rude and violent for a lady. Now, if you don't mind, I'll explain everything. It goes without saying that this girl will be killed along with whoever accompanies her should she try to board a ship...but first, they need to recognize her as Noel Vermillion. Why would anyone assume that this little girl is the person they are looking for when she's obviously much younger? I think this is a brilliant idea. I just didn't expect you to get in the way." - the man explains as he fans himself.

"It really is. I have to admit, I would have resorted to violence before thinking of something like this. Good thinking, Amane Nishiki!" - Saya praises the purple-haired idiot, which is really jarring considering how angry she was just a minute ago. It reminds me of Nu and that's never a good thing.

" _I mean...It makes sense. I can still easily identify her, but I doubt normal humans can. It's still completely unnecessary though. Nobody is going to stop Ragna and Nu no matter what they do and even if I'm not meant to protect trash, I'm sure I can keep that annoying girl alive until she becomes useless again._ " - Nu says with her usual confidence that I would dismiss as arrogance if I didn't know any better.

"That's nice and all, but can you change me back? They're looking only for Noel, so, I have NO reason to stay like this." - I demand without bothering to hide how annoyed I am.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. This spell is demanding enough as it is. It's unhealthy to overexert yourself." - Amane replies as he shrugs his shoulders.

"...Lambda, can you do me a favor and strangle that bastard? I'd do that myself, but I don't think my tiny hands can reach his thin neck like this." - I ask the replica and receive a nod in response. I don't like how easily she agrees to do this, but I'm also pissed off right now and so it's irrelevant.

" _You know, you can just ask Nu, but eh, this is good enough._ " - the girl in my head points out.

"N-Not you too!" - Noel cries out, too far to really stop Lambda from carrying out her task.

"If you think you can treat our Leader like this, you've got another think coming!" - one of the twins exclaims.

"You've got another think coming!" - the other one repeats before both stick their tongues out.

"Listen, you little shi-"

"SILENCE!" - the goddess shouts, immediately bringing order back into the room.

For the next several minutes, everyone remains silent. The reactions to her outburst range from fear and surprise to...relief? I've gotta say, if I didn't deal with my sister back in Yomi, I would be surprised by it too. Normally, she'd be about as helpless as Noel in this kind of situation, but now I can feel her murderous intent. It's nowhere near as strong as it was back there, that's for sure, but it's here. No matter how polite she tries to be, she's still the goddess of death and it's better not to screw around with her. Thankfully, the tense atmosphere vanishes completely when Saya reaches into her bag again and resumes eating sweets as if nothing happened.

" _Killjoy._ " - Nu mutters and I can almost see her pout.

"I think your time is better spent preparing for our little performance." - the crossdressing idiot tells the twins, both of which immediately bow and leave the room.

"Thank you, Miss...Hades? Um, will this wear off?" - the former Lieutenant asks the man as she gestures at herself.

"That's a pretty damn good question. You'd better give a positive answer here if you want to keep that pretty face of yours in one piece." - I threaten the purple-haired idiot...which really doesn't work that well considering my current state.

"Oh, don't worry about that, my dear. It's not permanent." - Amane replies. I guess that's a relief.

"And WHEN will it wear off?" - I ask, more than prepared to hear an answer I don't like.

"Hm...I'll give it a few days...Probably more than our trip should take. To be honest, this is the first time I used this particular spell in such a manner. My apologies for whatever inconveniences might arise." - he replies...Of course. It just couldn't be any other way.

"Okay, we get past the port security, board a ship and arrive at Ookoto...and then what? Do you really expect us to deal with anything remotely threatening while we're like...this? Sure, Lambda didn't get caught up in this shit, but she can't handle everything alone. If you don't fix this now, you'll be the one in deep shit. I may not be able to reach your face right now, but I'm still tall enough to rip out you-"

"Do you always get so worked up over nothing? While this isn't a mere illusion, these changes are superficial. There's nothing to worry about." - the man interrupts me before I can spout more threats to his well-being.

Just to be sure, I extend my arm and pull out a replica of my sword summoned by Nu. It's much bigger now and that screws with my balance, but holding it doesn't feel any heavier. When I throw away the weapon and lift Noel despite her protests, she feels about as light as she looks, which doesn't really change anything when I had no trouble holding her before either. Huh. That's convenient I guess. Not having any extra weight hanging off my chest is great too. Dear God, that shit gets so damn annoying no matter how much I try to ignore it.

Of course, there's a much bigger problem here. Being in the body of a girl that looks like my sister is bad enough as it is, but this is...I swear if Rachel ever finds out, I won't hear the end of it. I can already imagine all the stupid "clever" remarks from her...Well, assuming that goddamn butler won't tear my head off whenever I get too close. Technically, SHE is the one who pesters ME, but there's no way in hell I'm gonna have enough time to explain the difference to that flea-infested old fart.

...Why is Noel staring at my chest?

"Alright then, we still have a lot of things to do before we depart. It might still be too early for you though, so, you may rest for a bit. Amane, if you will..." - my sister says before both she and that idiot leave the room, but not before she gives me a look that sends shivers down my spine. That glint in her eyes brings plenty of memories I'd rather forget.

Now that only the three of us are left in this room, I let myself relax and sit down. Having more people helping me is nice and all, but I swear this is gonna end up being either a disaster or a pretty damn painful ride. This Amane guy in particular is really good at pissing me off and it doesn't even look like he's trying! Still, he's still easier to deal with that damn bloodsucker just because he hasn't tried blasting me with lightning and having an experienced mage with us won't hurt even if he's unlikely to stick around for long enough to help us that much.

"...Hey, Nu...that mark on your chest...What is it?" - the green-eyed blonde asks. I try to take a look at whatever she's talking about, but I can't find anything of note. It's probably too high for me to see it.

"I don't know." - I reply with a shrug.

"Hm...Do you have it too?" - Noel asks the other blonde, receiving a nod in response. It makes sense considering what she is.

"Why are you asking this?" - I ask. It seems to be more than just curiosity, but I can't tell what exactly's on her mind.

"I-It's nothing, I was just...Nevermind." - she replies. I don't miss how she rubs the spot where her collarbones meet, but I choose not to say anything.

" _It's just a way to brand Prime Field Devices. Nu's mark means "thirteen". Lambda probably has the exact same mark, being my knock-off and everything, but it might be different depending on how severe her defects are. Can't really say for sure when you've never seen her naked and Nu doesn't care enough to check._ " - the girl in my head explains.

Well, there's still quite some time before the sun rises. Might as well rest while I still can.


	51. Is this even legal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter shouldn't take as long as this one did.

 

At this point, I lost track of how many times I have adjusted the red bow on my neck ever since I was forced to put on this black frilly dress.

It's honestly not that bad and it covers more than the one I had to wear back in Yomi, but it also makes me think of that damn rabbit. I could easily see her wearing this. Still, it's better than walking around in nothing but a gown. The eyepatch looks like it really doesn't belong here though.

Fortunately, we didn't have to walk all the way back to the port thanks to that asshole's assistance. Would be nice to teleport straight into the vault we're looking for, but that ain't happening. All we have to do is get onboard through the port security. I'm not sure how it's supposed to help, but to achieve that, his troupe are disguised as servants, Amane himself and Saya are posing as a couple while Lambda is still wearing her regular outfit for some reasons. If this wasn't...well, Amane, I'd eagerly beat the crap outta him for such a stupid idea, but he's...Amane, so, there's really no reason to worry about my sister. It's weird seeing him actually dressed like a man though.

"Young man, what do you think you're doing?!" - the purple-haired man suddenly shouts.

"Please calm down. This is a standard procedure." - one of the officers says with practiced ease.

"Our time is of the essence. Let us pass at once." - Saya demands, her tone cold in contrast to Amane's.

"My apologies, but we canno-"

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?! To think that mere cannon fodder would display such disregard for the higher class...This is outrageous! Know your place!" - the false husband interrupts the man with more shouting, repeatedly poking his face before the poor bastard can even say anything in defence. Are they seriously going to make a scene here?!

"Your insolence will be your end...Fufufufu...There's no need to waste your breath on these fools, my dear. We shall have them condemned to death later, like many others before." - my sister says dismissively. Something about this clearly bothers Noel, but she doesn't say anything and neither do I.

"E-Excuse me?" - the officer mutters as he exchanges glances with his female companion...I think I know what they're trying to pull now.

"You're right. I wonder what would be the best punishment for these two...Perhaps relocating them to that cursed forest will do them some good. I've heard that the wildlife there has gone out of control recently." - Amane suggests with more enthusiasm than he should.

"Oh, and the Kaka clan...They will certainly enjoy their supply of fresh meat. Two birds with one stone." - the goddess of death adds before both start giggling while the the officers exchange glances again, with the female officer shaking her head. I'd feel bad for these two if they weren't in my way.

"W-We apologize for any inconveniences. You may pass." - the officer finally caves in, letting us pass.

"Please come back soon, Leader!" - a member of the troupe shouts. So they're not coming with us? Were they here just to make the whole thing more convincing? If it means I won't have to deal with those two brats, then I'm fine with this.

"Now then, let us depart."

* * *

Man, these rich snobs really have it good. Just being in this cabin is enough to tell me how expensive this whole thing should be. Fortunately, Amane had enough money to pay for the whole thing although I'm sure that little act at the port helped here too. Despite having two beds, there's enough space in this cabin to stretch my legs out if needed and that's always nice.

While Saya and Amane are exploring the rest of the ship, we decided to stay inside. I really don't feel like dragging Lambda around if it's not necessary and Noel...Well, it's certainly not the first time she travels by sea, so, she doesn't really have any reason to join those two. I just hope my sister won't get in trouble. I don't think she has ever interacted with...normal people outside of her family. Relius, Ignis and Amane certainly don't count as "normal". I'm not sure if Jubei counts.

"U-Um...Hades...Your sister...She's really...something." - Noel mumbles, drawing my attention.

"If it's about what happened earlier, I swear she's not like this." - I assure the girl as I adjust my eyepatch. For some reasons, I say it with less confidence than I should.

"No, I get that. She doesn't strike me as that sort of a person, but...that was too convincing for comfort." - the former Lieutenant says with an uncertain expression on her face."

" _I dunno, she killed Lambda without hesitation. Unfortunately, it didn't stick, but it's the thought that matters, right? Too bad we can't do anything about her._ " - Nu points out, disappointment clear in her voice. She is right, but I don't think it's the same thing.

"...Do you have any hobbies?" - Noel asks. Is she really that bored or is she just curious about it? I see no reason not to answer this question though.

"Well, yeah. I like cooking. Sure, there's a lot of shit to take care of, but it's a good way to unwind and take your mind off whatever crap you've gone through. It's not the same if the only one who can enjoy the dish is you, but it feels good either way. It's also a useful skill." - I reply. I really wish this body didn't turn everything I cook into shit so horrible it could probably take down Takemikazuchi. I'm sure that Saya would be more than happy to enjoy eating something I've prepared after all these years...

"I like cooking too...but it never comes out right. Whether I do everything by the book or try to experiment, it just...doesn't work. Back in the academy, it was even used as a punishment for others..." - the green-eyed blonde says...Damn. I've seen exactly what kind of shit she fed to Bang, but that's still too harsh.

" _And yet she still keeps making more of those death dinners? Wow. I might actually like her more than I did before. It's not saying much, but it's an improvement!_ " - the voice in my head chirps and I can't tell whether she's actually sincere about it or she's just mocking the poor girl.

"...Can I have one of your dishes? I-I mean not right now and if you say no, then I won't insist, bu-"

"Hey, take it easy. If you want, then I'll cook something, but much later. We're kinda in the middle of something and I'm not gonna get anything done with these." - I interrupt the girl, raising my tiny hands in front of me.

"Thank you...Um, what about you, Lambda? Do you have any hobbies?" - Noel asks the other blonde.

"Hobbies?" - she repeats.

"It's something you do to pass the time and enjoy yourself." - I explain. At least a minute passes before the replica shakes her head. I didn't expect any other answer.

" _A Prime Field Device has no need for hobbies. We can stand in place for years, either doing nothing or shutting down if we are given no tasks. After all, we are nothing but tools built to explore the Boundary and destroy Master Unit Amaterasu._ " - Nu offers an explanation of her own. The more I learn about her kind, the more questionable the whole thing becomes.

"Maybe we can help you find one? Is there anything you like doing?" - the former Lieutenant asks.

"...I...I don't know." - Lambda replies after another long pause. At least she didn't retain Nu's preferences. Still, I can't leave her like that.

"We'll try to find something for her later. I don't think there's anything we can really do here. What 'bout you? What do you do to kill time?" - I ask Noel and she almost immediately loses her composure.

"Wh-I-I-Um, well, it's...What's in the bag?" - she asks as she points at the item in question, clearly trying to avoid answering my question. Eh, if she doesn't want to tell me, then it's fine by me.

I walk up to the bag Noel's pointing at and take a look inside, finding some candy. It's the same candy Saya has been munching on the whole day...Now that I think about it, didn't she offer us some of it? I know that it's not exactly what one would call healthy food, but I'm kinda curious. I never really ate any even though Jubei brought us plenty of sweets after festivals and such. My sister liked them so much that I couldn't help giving her everything I had. Jin was a little more selfish, but he did share some of his from time to time.

I roll up one of my needlessly large sleeves and reach into the bag, grabbing the first piece of candy that touches my hand. Looks nice I guess. With a shrug, I pop the little thing into my mouth and start chewing. It's pretty damn sweet and I must admit, it's pretty good for what it is. With that out of the way, I-

" _Can you eat one more?_  - Nu suddenly asks, catching me off-guard. I'd ask her what's up with that, but we're not alone. I mean there's no reason to deny her sweets of all things, so...

With a little more hesitation, I reach into the bag agai-

I jump a little when Noel lets out a startled squeak, but then I feel a familiar hand rest on top of my head and realize what just happened.

"So, what do you think? Amane made these!" - Saya asks, completely ignori-

"Wait, that idiot made these?" - I ask in response, looking at the bag.

"Why, yes. It's a little hobby of his." - the purple-haired girl replies.

"...Huh. Well, these are good, I'll give him that. He's still an asshole for turning me into this." - I say as I adjust my bow again.

"I'll make sure to tell him that...Hm...Y'know, I'm bored. What should we do?" - my sister asks.

"...Well...I can't think of anything." - I admit. What is there to do on a damn ship anyway?

"I think I have an idea..." - Saya says before she runs her hand through my hair...and starts gathering it in her hands...

...Shit, I think I know what exactly she has on her mind and I don't like it one bit.


	52. The Tyrant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd person narration here, but it leans towards Saya's POV more. It's a big one too.
> 
> A large part of this chapter is a...flashback I guess? Most of the events described here take place shortly after Ragna leaves Yomi.

 

"Ow! Easy there!"

"Sorry, sorry. We're done."

With the hair tie secure around Ragna's braided bun, Saya and Noel step back to take a look at the final product. The purple-haired girl's face scrunches up in concentration, making her brother even less comfortable than he already is. If something went wrong, then they will have to redo everything again, forcing him to endure this tedious procedure for longer than needed.

"I think it looks fine." - the goddess finally says.

"...I'm not sure. Her hair is still...um..kind of a mess?" - Noel points out, drawing an exasperated sigh from the white-haired girl in front of her.

"I swear you guys are never going to be satisfied. Can we just end this already?" - Ragna pleads, too tired to keep going after hours of sitting in place and doing nothing.

"But there's so much I wanted to try on you, Br- I mean where else am I going to find someone with hair as long as yours?" - Saya retorts, almost letting an awkward secret slip.

"Why don't you ask Lambda then? She never complains." - the girl with an eyepatch suggests.

"D-Does she?" - the smaller blonde asks, turning to look at the person in question.

"I guess we can take a break for now. I'll be back in a few minutes." - the purple-haired girl says before she starts moving towards the door.

While she does feel guilty for taking advantage of her brother's current condition, it doesn't stop her from having a little fun. If she didn't have something to take care of, she would be much more reluctant to let him rest, but as it is, she must go. As soon as she closes the door behind her, the goddess closes her eyes, letting her body dissipate into fog to reform elsewhere. When she opens her eyes, the figure of a large man greets her. A part of her is pleased to see no corpses in the cabin, but it does little to comfort her.

"How is our little mongrel doing?" - Saya asks, putting no effort into hiding her disdain for the man.

"Starving." - he growls out. If looks could kill...she wouldn't be phased anyway, but he was certainly good at glaring at others.

"Curb your urges and behave. Your wish will not be granted if you choose to act recklessly." - the goddess warns the sole occupant of the cabin.

"This better be worth it, Hades. If not...This will be the last mistake you ever make." - the man threatens the girl with little results. While she knows that he has the strength to back it up, her current state ensures that there's nothing he can do to accomplish anything.

"Do not fret, you will have your fill." - Saya assures him. She still isn't sure what he actually means whenever he speaks of devouring something.

Once she is sure that she will receive no answer, the girl vanishes again. As much as she hates that brute, his value is too great for her to simply forget about him. Perhaps their meeting could have gone better...

* * *

"You may dress yourself."

With the procedure finished, Saya floats off the examination table. A mere glance is enough for the pair of Shikomes to approach her and help the girl put her clothes on.

"There is nothing to report. Your body appears to be stable. However, you need to co-"

"I am well aware of that, Relius. Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" - Saya interrupts the masked man.

"Regarding your guests...What is your relation to them? Do they have a purpose as well?" - Relius asks as he puts all the tools back into place.

That was a question she expected to hear, but now that it's actually been asked, she can't think of an answer. Even Saya herself doesn't know what to think of it. Her brother was brought to her in a form so similar to her own and that Lambda girl...She certainly wasn't mindless, but she felt empty and there was something wrong with her soul. Ragna's own soul felt off too. It was clearly him, but there was something more to it like there was something sticking to it...or was his soul clutching something?

Before the goddess can come up with an answer, Ignis enters the room.

"We have an intruder." - the woman announces, immediately putting the others on edge.

"Who is it?" - the girl asks.

"It's...The Mad Dog." - Ignis replies. While Relius clearly recognizes that moniker, it's completely new to Saya.

"A...A dog?" - she repeats, confusion clear on her face.

"An infamous mercenary whose name is Azrael. He is known for his thirst for blood and immense power, the nature of which remains a mystery. Some say that he trained his body to its limits and then persisted until the world could restrain no longer. I believe that such rumors are unfounded, but he is not a man we can underestimate." - the masked man explains.

"I see. Very well. I shall take care of him." - the goddess says.

"There is no need for you to waste your time on a man like that. Let us disp-

"By intruding upon my domain, he has invited death upon himself and so I must heed his call." - the girl interrupts Ignis before dissipating into fog, leaving no room for argument.

A part of her was furious at the man's insolence, but what concerns her more is his presence. The air in Yomotsu Hirasaka is too toxic for any human to even approach their hideout and yet he is here. If Relius considers him to be a threat despite being a powerful mage, then she cannot treat him lightly either.

Even with that thick black mist obscuring the area close to the entrance, Saya can already see the man in question approaching her. He certainly looks intimidating although the lack of clothes covering his torso save for the coat slung over his shoulders confuses the girl. It't not hot enough to be walking around half-naked. But before she can ponder about it any longer, Azrael stops.

"I take it you're the one responsible for this? I was expecting something...bigger." - the Mad Dog says, further aggravating the goddess.

"You stand before a goddess. Prostrate yourself and your death will be painless." - Saya commands.

"A full course meal, huh? I've been waiting for this moment...What are we waiting for? Let us devour each other to our hearts' content..." - the intruder growls out, barring his teeth in a wide smile.

"...You came here for food? You don't look like a beggar...Very well. I shall grant you death." - the girl declares before the blue-haired man in front of her can confuse her even more.

With a frown, the goddess conjures three orbs of darkness which start to slowly advance towards her target. Unimpressed by the spell, Azrael slowly walks towards the girl, completely ignoring the orbs. Such confidence surprises her and so she summons the bony shield. This proves to be the right decision when the man's body starts emitting a red aura that somehow absorbs the projectiles and launches them back at their owner in the form of a fireball, which fails to go through the ghostly ribs.

Saya quickly raises her arm to summon a pair of golden skeletons larger than even Azrael himself. While one lets out an inhuman screech to paralyze their enemy, the other starts running towards him. However, the Ikusa's screech has no effect on the man and the monster that gets close to him quickly receives a gun punch that shatters its ribs. Before it can recover, the Mad Dog shatters its jaw by lazily swinging his leg upward. When it tries to claw at the man, a powerful punch sends it flying into its counterpart, destroying them both.

With a frown, the goddess swings her arm outward and a monstrous skull emerges from the ground right next to her enemy. The skeletal canine tries to crush Azrael with its jaws, but he merely grips both of them and effortlessly keeps its mouth open.

"What's wrong? Is this really the best you can do? Throw small-fry at me all you want, it's not gonna work!"

With a shout, the man clamps the giant jaws shut before delivering a punch to its nose. While the beast is still recovering, Azrael grabs it by its snout and, to Saya's surprise, pulls its whole body out, breaking the chains binding it before throwing it right at its owner. Fortunately, the goddess flies out of the way before the monster's body can hit her.

It's clear to her that trying to fight this man with magic or those monsters alone is pointless. Unfortunately, her current attire is not suited for close-ranged combat and even if it wasn't, the Mad Dog seems to be quite difficult to damage anyway. Of course, she doesn't think much of it.

Suddenly, everything ceases to move. Even the air itself freezes as the flow of time halts for everything except for death itself. With all the time in the world, Saya slowly moves towards her enemy. Once she is close enough to touch him, she notices just how tall he is. Almost seven feet of pure muscles stand motionless before her. It's certainly an intimidating sight, but it won't matter soon.

"Learn the futility of your struggle."

With a faint smile, the goddess pulls her arm back before thrusting it forward, aiming at the man's heart.

To her surprise, instead of tearing a hole through his flesh and bones, she merely smacks Azrael's chest. Once again, she strikes him with the same results. She repeats this process several times and while it does seem to inflict some damage, Saya knows that she doesn't have enough stamina to actually kill the brute like this. Keeping time frozen in her current state is quite exhausting and she still hasn't fully recovered from the fight with her brother and Lambda. To make sure there's enough distance between them, the goddess flies back far away from the brute.

As soon as time resumes its flow, a noticeable cracking sound rings out. Azrael actually flinches and grits his teeth as his enemy's blows finally take effect. Before Saya can consider this a small victory, he bursts out laughing.

"That's it...Good...Keep this up!"

The blue-haired man's tattoos body starts glowing and almost immediately Saya notices the sudden increase in his power. The goddess isn't surprised when the Mad Dog suddenly appears right in front of the her and throws a wild punch that cracks her shield. In response, she swipes at him with her hand, letting the darkness that trails her finger cut into her enemy's flesh. While it does manage to draw blood, it's not enough to prevent him from smashing what remains of the shield with a double hammerfist strike. Saya uses this opportunity to slash Azrael across his face, but to her surprise, the ground beneath her shifts and she's knocked back as the man easily tears out and flips a chunk of rock in one quick motion.

While the goddess is recovering, the man dashes forward and raises his leg. Just as he's about to crush her, she conjures a large fireball in her hand, knocking her enemy away with the fiery shield that surrounds her before throwing it at him. Blue fire engulfs the man and yet it only manages to make him more excited. The Mad Dog dashes forward, instantly closing the distance and putting out the fire. Saya easily dodges his front kick and responds with a palm strike to his leg, briefly making him lose balance, but it's not quite enough and so he quickly brings his foot down onto the girl's back, slamming her into the ground.

"Get up! I won't say it again!"

As soon as Azrael leaps to crush his much smaller opponent, the goddess' body dissipates into fog and reappears above on a glowing sigil. However, there's something bothering her. When the brute hit her with that stomp, some sort of a foreign energy entered her body, but it has yet to do anything. Unfortunately, it distracts her long enough for the man in question to jump high enough to reach her and hit her with an overhead punch. As soon as his fist connects with her head, the foreign energy coursing through her reacts violently and she's sent crashing into the ground with enough force to actually make her bounce off the ground, letting Azrael ground her once more with a dive kick.

"Like fish in a barrel."

To make sure she can escape safely, Saya stops time to give herself the opportunity to get up. Once she moves several feet away from her enemy, the goddess almost launches herself at Azrael and strikes him with her palm with as much force as she can muster. A smile creeps onto her face when her strike actually manages to move him and it grows even wider when he reels back once the time is resumed. When the Mad Dog tries to backhand the girl, her body dissipates into fog and she reappears above, diving towards the man and latching onto him. Before he can throw her off, she sinks her teeth into his neck, drawing an annoyed growl from him that turns into an angry shout when she tears something out of him. Instead of blood spurting out of his neck, black liquid gushes out only to dissipate into nothing along with the girl herself.

"I haven't had enough!"

An upward kick launches the brute into the air. Before he can recover, Saya reforms to send him flying with a double kick.

"Know your place..."

A moment later, she teleports right next to the man to knock him even higher into the air with an upward swing of her arm.

"Lowly dog."

Just as he's about to start falling, the girl reforms above him and dives to grab her enemy, quickly bringing them both back onto the ground and dragging Azrael along it before rising back into the air and swinging her arms outward, launching him into the ground in a burst of darkness and fog. Unfortunately, he still manages to get up without much visible damage and once again, his tattoos start glowing. This time, Saya notices how some of them actually disappear, but she doesn't get much time to think about it when he starts emitting that red aura again. Once again, she dashes towards the man to strike him with her palm.

...only to see her hand pass through the man before he vanishes completely.

"The power of death that flows within my body..."

Suddenly, Azrael's fingers slam into her back and she is sent flying forward with a palm strike of his own. Foreign energy enters her body once more, but there's more of it this time. The next blow will certainly incapacitate her and there are still plenty of markings left on Azrael's body. She is still incomplete and therefore not strong enough to defeat this man, who is already winding up for what looks like a mighty punch. There is nothing she can do about him right now.

"Your flesh and bones will know..."

...unless...

"The true meaning of power!"

Instead of trying to dodge his attack, Saya spreads her arms wide, letting Azrael's attack hit her. Having realized that his enemy just gave up, the Mad Dog lets out a frustrated growl as he glares at the goddess laying in pieces.

"Is this a joke?! Stand up and fight!" - he almost roars, certainly not pleased by this outcome.

"You...What is your wish? What is it that you seek?" - the girl asks as if her upper torso hasn't been blown off from the man's strike. It hurts, but she welcomes that pain like any other reminder of her existence. Anything was better than that void.

"My wish? I wish to face the strongest to sate my hunger. What else can I wish for?" - he replies, which only makes the goddess laugh.

"And that is why you came to face death itself? That is what drives you? What a foolish man...But...I have an offer for you, mongrel...A contract, if you will. There is something I want you to take care of...and you are sure to like it." - Saya says, piquing the Mad Dog's interest.

"Spit it out." - he demands.

"I want you to slay an unsightly beast...A beast so terrifying even the gods are afraid of its might...Does that interest you?" - the girl asks.

"So, let me get this straight...You're offering me a prey greater than the gods...as my task AND reward? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How can I say no to such a tempting offer?! Consider it done!" - the man declares with a wide smile on his face.

"So eager to serve me, are we? Very well. There is no time to waste. We shall head towards Ookoto where the beast is sure to be hiding as there is no better place for one to feed on souls. Once we arrive at our destination, we shall part ways. I have other matters to attend to and I'm afraid I cannot let them be. But first, take this." - Saya explains before extending her arm. A blue flame appears in her palm, prompting her contractor to raise an eyebrow.

"And what's the point of this thing?" - he asks, trying to take a better look at the item in question.

"You may think of it as a...bait to draw out the beast. Now then, while your task is to slay the beast, there is something else I must tell you. Should you fail to defeat your opponent..."

Suddenly, what's left of Saya's body dissipates into fog and she reforms right next to Azrael, seemingly no worse for wear. An unsettling smile creeps onto her face.

"Kill them all. Men, women or children...It matters not. Until your last breath, claim as many lives as you can...in the name of Hades Izanami."


	53. Vain Raider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure whether to call him an OC or not. The design and the name come from BlazBlue's Calamity Trigger days back when everything was still in development. Expect more to pop up from time to time with varying levels of importance.

 

"Can I take this thing off now?"

"No, not yet."

I swear I'm gonna kill that bastard. As if being subjected to hours of ridiculous torture at the hands of Saya and Noel wasn't enough, he just had to come back and "offer a helping hand". Sure, there's literally nothing else to do, but this is just...

"...Why do I have to put up with this?" - I ask, gesturing at my facial mask.

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror?" - Amane asks me in response.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with a-"

"You have a beautiful face, darling, but those dreadful dark circles under your eyes just won't do!" - he says.

"And why should I care? How the hell are you gonna get rid of that crap around my right eye anyway?" - I ask in that whiny voice again.

"Don't be so rude, Br...I'm sure that Mister Amane knows what he's doing." - Saya assures me with little results.

" _I can confirm that this procedure is beneficial for us, but I see no point in it. Ragna loves Nu the way she is, Nu loves Ragna and that's all that matters!_ " - Nu says, single-minded as usual.

Urgh...Whatever. I've been through worse. At least this won't give me a headache.

As I lie on the pleasantly soft bed, my mind wanders off elsewhere. Jin's disappearance still bothers me. Why did he run away and where is he heading? The only options I can think of is that he either wanted to pay me a visit or he went to see that Tsubaki girl. That idiot's not the kind of guy who values duty all that much considering that he tried to kill Noel just because she got in the way. Either way, it's something he is willing to risk his life for. The sheer stupidity of his actions still baffles me. Couldn't he at the very least wait until he has fully recovered?

Then there's that Hamaza guy. Ignis said that he isn't interested in all this bullshit with science, but she also said that he could have been involved and I clearly remember him appearing in Nu's memories. How many Prime Field Devices did he and Relius get involved with? Nu claims to be the thirteenth, so, where are the others? I don't think they are just as murderous as she is when Lambda is completely fine with doing nothing until threatened, but they also seem to lack any sort of human morality on their own. The thought of twelve of these things freely roaming around when I still haven't found anything to permanently kill Nu with is concerning.

A knock on the door tears me out of my thoughts.

"Your dinner is ready. Please open the door." - a masculine voice says from behind the door.

"Let him in, Lambdda." - I tell the replica who complies without a word.

The moment I hear something click, I sit up and take off that damn mask. Normally, the sight of some asshole pointing a matchlock gun at the blonde's face would make me worry, but knowing her, I can't help but feel annoyed. Only Noel seems to be distressed.

" _Really now? This is just...pathetic._ " - Nu says, more bored than anything.

"Now get out and don't try anything funny, got it?" - the man demands. Of course, he just looks stupid to me and so I sigh.

"Urgh...If you're already there, might as well kick him out." - I tell Lambda and receive a nod in response. When she reaches out for the gun with her arm, the man backs away a little.

"T-The hell are you doing?!" - he cries out, taking another step back when the blonde tries to get closer.

I'm not surprised when that idiot shoots Lambda right in her head, which does manage to make her stumble a bit, but then she grabs his hand and squeezes it. When a sickening crunch rings out, the smaller blonde next to me averts her eyes and I can see why. Seeing that delicate hand crushing a man's hand with so little effort is kinda disturbing, but at the same time I don't give two shits about a bastard like that.

As if turning the man's hand into a bloody mess of broken bones wasn't enough, a green sword descends upon his extended arm and severs his forearm. Thankfully, when he's about to start screaming his head off, a giant hand made of pink cloth emerges from the floor and smashes his head into the wall, knocking him out before tightly wrapping around what's left of his arm.

"Target silenced." - Lambda says, apparently oblivious to all the blood marring her face.

"L-Lambda! Please don't do...t-that again!" - Noel pleads the taller blonde.

"How awfully brutish..." - Amane says with a frown on his face as he wipes the blood off the girl with the same pink cloth.

"Tell me about it...Next time some piece of shit tries to pull something like this, just punch him in the face." - I tell the replica as I put my eyepatch back on.

" _Eh, he got exactly what he deserved._ " - the voice in my head says dismissively.

"We have more guests to take care of. It appears that they have managed to board this ship quite recently. Let's give them all a warm welcome." - Saya informs us with a smile that really shouldn't be on her face.

"Could it be...Pirates?" - Noel asks. Really? That's one of the last things I want to deal with right now.

"Maybe. It matters not. All are equal before me." - my sister replies with a shrug. This again...

"Alright, before this turns into an utter mess...Amane, look after Saya. If somebody tries to barge in again, knock them out, but don't kill them. Noel and Lambda should come with me to deal with the rest of those idiots...Wait, can you fight without Bolverk?" - I ask the former Lieutenant. Using a Nox ain't gonna go well, but Noel doesn't look like she can do much without it. Then again, the same could be said about everyone else in the cabin.

"W-Well...I...Usually, Bolverk...does all the work?" - she replies. Well...shit.

"Can you at least swing a sword?" - I ask, adjusting the bow on my neck once again.

"I know the basics, but...I've never held it." - Noel replies.

"Eh, good enough. Lambda, give her something. Make sure she can actually wield it." - I tell the other blonde who quickly produces an odd green sword half as long as Noel herself before handing it over to her.

"I-Isn't this a bit too big?" - the poor girl asks. At least it doesn't seem to be too heavy for her.

"If h- If she can wield it, then you shouldn't have any problems either." - Saya says in response.

"If you don't wanna fight, then you can stay here." - I suggest, but the way Noel looks at my sister tells me she doesn't like this idea at all.

"...No thanks..."

Once Nu gives me my own sword, the three of us leave the cabin. For now, we'll head towards the weather deck. I'm sure we'll find whoever is in charge of this raid on the way there, then kick his ass and continue our voyage.

It doesn't take us long to find more of those assholes dragging passengers out of their cabins. I leap towards the first one I see and quickly send him flying with a roundhouse kick. Before his comrade can even do anything, a pair of green swords tear through his feet, pinning him in place. Noel hesitates for a second, but then she knocks him out by whacking him with her sword. When the first pirate tries to get up, I pick up the gun he dropped and throw it right at his stupid face.

"P-Please go back inside and lock the doors! NOL will take care of the criminals!" - the former Lieutenant tells the half-dressed passengers, most likely out of habit than anything. They give her an odd look before following her orders.

"If weak shit like this can take over a ship, then you guys have bigger problems than a madman for a ruler." - I say, gesturing at the unconscious men. To be fair, I am like several times stronger than any human right now, but I wouldn't have any trouble dealing with them in my own body either.

" _There's an odd concentration of seithr above us. There's not much of it, but it's enough for me to detect it. Keep going._ " - Nu says. She doesn't sound worried and so it's probably nothing notewort-

I quickly raise my sword to block an incoming shot, then point at the gun and summon a sword to disarm its owner. Another asshole arrives, but before he can get an opportunity to shoot us, Lambda pins him to the floor with a Gravity Seed. The other guy tries to take his gun only to get knocked out by a green sword thrown at him. I turn to look at Noel and find her without her weapon, but then she approaches one of the men and takes his still functional gun.

"Didn't you say something about that sword being too big?" - I ask the former Lieutenant, pointing at the relatively oversized gun she's holding.

"Bolverk can get much bigger..." - she says, which makes me raise an eyebrow. I've seen like two forms of it and they looked big enough on their own.

The rest of our trip to the weather decks doesn't get any more difficult than that. In fact, it gets easier once we stop running into pirates wielding firearms. These guys really aren't prepared for any real resistance. I'd feel bad for them, but they're in my way, so, a beating is all they're gonna get from me.

As soon as we reach our destination, I spot a flying whale hovering near the ship. I've seen these soaring flying in the sky before, but this is the first time I see one of them up-close. Judging by all the shit strapped to its back, this is the vessel used by these pirates...Wait, how the hell did nobody notice them?! A goddamn whale flying towards your ship isn't exactly subtle.

"Um, Nu...Over there."

I turn to look at whatever Noel's pointing at and see some blond man wearing a long black and red coat held together with a single button, white dress shirt and white pants tucked into black boots. If he wasn't standing next to the almost naked passengers, I'd mistake him for one, but he's clearly another pirate and most likely their captain if his much more refined appearance is anything to go by.

"It appears that we have company...Although I have to admit, I did not expect it to be two kids and a frail girl. I suggest dropping your weapons." - the man says and he already sounds like a posh asshole. He does remind me of Jin a little, but my brother's either being a whiny bitch or a cold-hearted bastard. This guy is just annoying.

"Put your hands in the air and surrender! You are und- Give up!" - Noel shouts, giving the man a warning shot...aimed at his feet. He manages to move out of the way just in time, but I still can't help raising an eyebrow.

"This isn't a toy, little girl. You can hurt somebody with it." - he says, giving the girl with a gun an odd look.

"How about this: you shut your piehole and I'm not gonna shove this sword up your ass? Sounds good to me." - I say, pointing my sword at the blond asshole.

"My, such foul language is unbecoming of a young lady like you. I am not fond of hurting women, but you leave me no choice." - the guy says in response

"Neither do I and yet here we are." - I say, quickly souring his mood.

"Then I, Roy Lampert, will be the one to discipline you." - Roy says, pulling some metal stick out of his coat. With a flick of his hand, it produces a yellow blade made of energy.

" _So that's what I detected. I can't identify it or analyze it properly, but it's so primitive I wouldn't even call it an Armagus. Don't worry about it._ " - Nu says. The hell's an Armagus?

"Wait...Roy Lampert...I've heard your name before." - Noel says, drawing everyone's attention...except for Lambda.

"Oh? So there is someone who recogn-"

"I think I stumbled upon it while going through some paperwork." - the little blond girl continues, briefly lowering her gun as she tries to recall the past. Roy almost visibly deflates upon hearing this.

"Something tells me I won't need your help to deal with this chump. Step back and watch." - I tell the girls, briefly adjusting my bow.

"...Children like you should be punished...properly."

As soon as Roy dashes forward to drive his sword through me, I jump over him and kick the back of his head...or at least that's what I try to do, but my leg ends up being too short to actually hit the mark. I curse Amane again as I duck under the man's blade, which makes an odd buzzing sound as it moves. When I try to stab him, he jumps over me and responds in kind, but he aims a little too high and ends up missing too. As soon as he lands, I lean back to dodge a horizontal slash and almost fall over. Fortunately, I can float to some extent and so I finally hit that bastard by kicking his chin. While he's still recovering, I dash towards the man and smash him into the floor with an overhead sword strike before turning around and sending him flying with an upward swing.

"See what you're dealin' with now?" - I ask, once again moving my free hand to adjust that stupid bow.

"I...didn't know you possessed such power...but you'll need more than that to put me down." - he says in response as he wipes blood off his mouth.

Suddenly, something...no, someone bursts out of the wooden boards and...Damn...Who the hell did that poor bastard run into? I swear if he wasn't screaming his ass off, I'd mistake him for a cannonball except those don't reach the freaking clouds so quickly. I'm pretty damn sure neither Amane nor Saya could have done this and I don't really know anyone else on this ship, so, when Roy looks at me, all I can do is shrug.

...Anyway, the blonde man doesn't try to attack me first this time. I guess he knows how outmatched he is when it comes to pure strength. Well, if he ain't gonna do anything, then I will. I rear back, then dash forward with my fist outstretched in front of me. It's pretty damn telegraphed and so he easily dodges, but then I turn around and try to launch him into the air again with my sword. Unfortunately, he dodges that too and I have to quickly duck underneath another thrust, then roll out of the way to avoid the overhead slash. I don't move too far and so I manage to hit him with a leaping sword uppercut. However, my limbs are too short to follow up with anything, giving Roy plenty of time to recover. Damn it, Amane!

Once again, the blonde asshole waits for me to strike first. This time I slowly walk towards him with my sword slung over my shoulder. Even when I'm close enough to cut him, he doesn't do anything. Alright, then I guess I'll just hammer him into the ground. I quickly swing my sword downward and to my surprise, he actually tries to block it with his own. Is he stupid o-

"Nu!"

I feel my limbs lock up as searing pain quickly runs through my body before that bastard kicks me in the stomach. Normally, that would deal some serious damage, but I simply stumble back. That shit-eating grin on his face only makes me angrier.

" _Systems stable...So that's what it does. I'm kinda disappointed, but I didn't have high expectations to begin with. Just get this done and over with._ "

Shit, now this makes things a little more complicated. Roy is a bit faster since this sword weighs me down heavily and now that he knows what he's dealing with, he'll just keep doing this until he runs out of stamina, but I ain't gonna wait for so long.

...Wait...

I suddenly throw my sword at the blonde bastard. He tries to deflect it, but the sheer weight of this thing is too much for him to stop. Just looking at him is enough for me to tell that he's in no condition to fight anymore...That and a light kick to his ribs. Well, that was anti-climatic.

"Nu, are you alright?" - Noel asks as she and Lambda approach me. This time, I don't even need to say anything for her to realize how stupid this question is.

"I'd be happy to keep my promise here, but there's something I wanna know. Have you ever heard of the Azure Grimoire?" - I ask Roy.

"W...What?" - he wheezes out in response. So much for that.

As soon as I turn around, I hear a gunshot and a pained groan followed by the sound of something hitting the floor. With a growl, I turn back to that asshole and kick him harder.

"Back-stabbing piece of shit...Thanks, Noel." - I say before kicking that bastard again. Unfortunately, that fails to calm me down and I doubt he'll live long enough for me to vent it out properly.

I freeze when I feel something lightly scratching my head. It turns out to be Lambda and I want to ask her what the hell she's doing...but it feels so damn good...I've got things to do...Then again, I can spare a few minutes...


	54. Despondency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, this story ain't dead until I say so! I just had some things to take care of. I'm really sorry about several months of nothing!
> 
> As a warning, things get a little more graphic than usual, but it's all confined to an arm and it's still rather tame. So far, I skipped these scenes, but I decided to write it out this time.

" _Raaaaagnaaaaa..._ "

I slowly open my eye upon hearing the soft voice...then close it and try to go back to sleep.

" _Raaaaaaaagnaaaaaa...Ragna, wake up!_ "

I really wish I could just gag Nu, stuff her into a bag, throw it overboard and forget she even exists, but she's in my head and so I have to put up with her crap.

A look to the left and a more strained look to the right is enough for me to realize that I'm once again caught up in a tangled mess of limbs and hair of different colors. I'll have to be careful if I want to avoid waking them up...and they look so damn peaceful. An officer on the run from the government she served, a doll who can sever limbs and lose her own guts without batting an eye and a freaking goddess of death...None of that matters here. Just three...well, four almost identical girls sleeping on the same bed.

Escaping ends up pretty damn hard with Saya involved. I didn't mind having her cling to me back when we were children, but not only am I much smaller right now because of a certain asshole, she's not exactly a frail girl anymore...Well, she does looks like one, but this strength...I swear if Nu wasn't about as strong as she is, I wouldn't even be able to budge. Fortunately, I have enough experience with this sort of stuff and this is the second time I have to deal with Saya holding me like this.

Once I climb down from the bed, I walk around it and gently nudge Lambda to wake her up. This ship probably isn't big enough for me to get far enough for her to explode, but knowing my shitty luck, I ain't taking chances.

...Where is Amane? I haven't seen him after I kicked that blonde bastard's ass...On the second thought, maybe I don't want to know where he is. As long as he doesn't get in the way, I couldn't care less about him.

" _Alright, sleepyhead, let's go. I have already found a place where we can have some privacy..._ "

I head towards the door and step outside, but not before taking another look at the two remaining occupants of the cabin to make sure they are still asleep.

I'm glad that Nu can sense other people's presence or else I'd have to sneak around the ship. All I have to do is follow her directions. Still, it feels like I'm about to be executed and this is some sorry excuse for a procession...although I don't think any sort of execution would work on me right now. If I got decapitated, would I be able to just put my head back or would it regrow?...I'm just gonna hope I'll never have to find that out. Temporary or not, it still hurts.

" _We can stop here. Now then..._ "

Speaking of pain, I can already hear space being torn next to me. I don't bother waiting for the whole tool to come out and pull it out myself. It's always the same red and black dagger and this time isn't any different aside from the damn thing being scaled to my current size. If only I could smash it against the wall and go back to sleep.

" _Remember what I told you?_ "

"Yeah yeah, be gentle, then ramp it up. No need to tell me twice."

I take a deep breath, then extend my arm out and pull down the sleeve. My hand hovers over the exposed limb for a bit before I drive the blade deep into the pale skin, just barely managing to avoid staining anything with the blood that gushes out of the wound. It takes me a lot of effort not to curse out loud. Nu, on the other hand, cries out without much restraint.

" _You're...You're putting too much force into it again..._ "

With a little more effort, I pull the bloodstained blade out of the gouge, which has already began to close. This time, instead of simply ramming the dagger into my limb, I press the tip of it to my wrist until flesh gives way and parts. Once it's lodged in deep enough, I move it closer to the elbow, creating a long cut across the forearm. It stings like hell and the sight of it still makes me sick even if the wound is nowhere near as bad as it usually is. This body's current state certainly doesn't help.

" _Deeper...Go deeper...You know, you don't have to shove it into the same hole either. C'mon, this isn't the first time. I know you can do it! Don't keep me waiting..._ "

I pull the blade out and repeat the process, but I end up going too deep and the dagger hits a bone. Of course, she doesn't give a shit and so I have to cut through it as well. Somehow, this crap turns her on, which only makes it more disgusting. That crazy who-

Before I even realize what's going on, the dagger is slapped out of my hand.

" _You again..._ "

"What are you doing?! Lambda, how can you let her do such a thing?" - Noel almost shouts, tightly gripping my wrist. Wasn't she asleep when we left? How did Nu not notice her?

"N-Noel? You shouldn't be here. Leave, now!" - I tell the girl, but she merely shakes her head.

"This...This isn't the solution! You'll only make everything worse. If you need help, then ask for it. I...I know how difficult it is to try to cope with everything on your own, but my friends...They helped me pull through...Please, let me help you." - she says, clearly concerned about me, but I'm more worried about her right now.

"You have no idea what you're getting int-"

" _Vanish._ "

I quickly push Noel out of the way and while the landing ends up being a little rough, it does prevent her from getting skewered by at least twenty large swords. But, being the idiot she is, she doesn't run away even as more swords are come out, one silent command away from killing her.

"You're right, I don't...and I won't know until you tell me." - Noel says. She's obviously scared and yet...

"This isn't the time to grow a spine, you stupid little shit! If you die here, you won't accomplish anything! Just leave, dammit!" - I shout, almost on the verge of begging that stupid girl.

Thankfully, she actually listens to me this time, but the look she gives me before leaving tells me that this topic will be brought up again. With her gone, there's still one more problem at hand and it's the one I've had enough of at this point.

"What is your goddamn damage?" - I ask the girl in my head, adjusting the red bow on my neck.

" _She dared to inter-_ "

"Every single time we come across someone, you're always ready to stab them to death and half the time, that's exactly what you try to do! What is your problem? Is it because those assholes tormented you? Then lash out at them...and if I hurt you, then hate me all you like, but leave the others alone. They deserve none of this shit! And Noel? She's been trying to help this whole time even when she had absolutely nothing to gain from it and you still insist on killing her! What's wrong with you?"

Utter silence follows and, as I start to cool down a little, I realize what sort of consequences might follow, but I couldn't care less. I can't keep my mouth shut anymore.

" _...I'm not in the mood anymore. Let's go back._ "

* * *

At long last, we have reached Ookoto's port. I can already see just how different this city is from Kagutsuchi. They certainly put a lot of effort into maintaining its refined appearance. Even without going far, I can see the marble statues greeting the travellers, the cobbled roads leading deeper into the city, numerous trees with lush crowns of green leaves and what's certainly the Library's headquarters far in the distance...and they really went out of the way to make sure it stands out. As always, it's the largest building in the city and it lives up to the phrase "dignity and perfection incarnate", but this one is much grander than NOL branches I've seen so far. At least I can see our destination all the time.

I don't like how silent Nu has been after what happened last night, but everything seems to be...well, not exactly fine. More like I'm not screwed just yet. I wish Nu would actually think about what I told her, but I'm not gonna count on it. Noel hasn't said anything about it either although she's been giving me that annoying look a lot. While I can understand why she'd be worried, I'd rather have her mind her own business.

"You were not exaggerating much, Amane. This is truly a magnificent city." - Saya says, trying to take a look around without looking like a curious child she really is. Yeah, she's not very good at that.

"Why, of course, it is quite lovely. If you wish, I can give you a tour, my dear. It would be a shame if you were to visit Ookoto without seeing everything it has to offer." - Amane says in response.

"I permit it...but I have certain matters to attend to first...Hey, Br- Nu, would you mind if we borrow Lambda for a short while? I promise we'll stay close enough." - my sister asks.

"Sure, why not. As long as she's fine with it." - I reply. The replica in question simply tilts her head, then shrugs.

"Very well. Until we return, you may rest...over there." - she says, pointing at a bench near a fountain.

With all the "adults" gone, we can't really go anywhere, but if Saya wants to explore at least a small part of the city, then there's no way in hell I'm gonna deny her something like that. She never really got an opportunity to leave the church before her death. It's not like she's gonna stay separated from me for too long anyway. I just hope she doesn't accidentally wander too far away. I don't know how large the blast radius is, but I'd rather not have Lambda explode at all. I mea-

"Tsubaki?"

I turn around to face Noel, but then something draws my attention in the crowd. It's a girl with red hair and blue eyes...and she's wearing a white NOL uniform.

"Noel?"

...not now...


	55. Camellia in the wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always worried about getting something completely wrong and I hope it hasn't been too bad so far.

This isn't good...

Not only did we run into a NOL officer, but she also recognized Noel in spite of her current state...Hold on...Tsubaki...Wasn't that one of her friends? That would explain it, but for now, I'll treat her as a potential threat. I could probably knock her out before she can retaliate if I act quickly. The problem is that it's going to draw attention and we haven't even gone that far yet.

" _Armagus detected. Termination of target is advised...but...should we?_ " - Nu finally speaks up. Now that's something new. She doesn't sound conflicted or anything, but...Didn't she mention "Armagus" before?

Whatever, I need to think of something before this gets any worse and the redhead realizes what's going on. Noel really couldn't have just kept her mouth shut, could she?

"U-Uh, silly Mu, that's not Miss Tsubaki! She's flat, remember? Like a flat board!" - I say loud enough to reach the officer. Unfortunately, our little dumbass doesn't seem to quite get it. Worse still, talking like this almost physically hurts me. As if having Nu's voice wasn't bad enough...

"Mu? I must be...What are children like you doing out here, all on your own?" - Tsubaki asks after clearing her throat out, already taking on the tone of an adult talking to a lost child. I doubt we're in the clear just yet, which means I'll have to keep this shit up for longer...

"We're waiting for, uh, mom and dad." - I reply. Now the former Lieutenant finally gets it, if her expression's anything to go by.

"T-They'll be here soon!" - Noel exclaims although it comes out a little too loud to my liking. I'm no actor either, so, I'm not gonna give her shit for that, but damn, it hurts. Still, I can clearly see that she'd rather have a proper reunion with her friend.

"Why would they leave children unsupervised in a place like this?" - the redhead asks. That's a pretty damn good question. This really isn't a good time to go sightseeing!

"I got tired, but we don't have all day to wait for me to rest, so, they thought it would be better if they took care of everything without dragging us with them. It's some, um, grown up things." - I explain. Now this is where Nu's sickly appearance comes in handy, however situational it is.

"Still, I can't overlook this. I...I guess I'll have to look after you two until they come back."

I'm really tempted to tell her to piss off and not to stick her nose in our business, but...Dammit, why do I always get involved in this kind of shit? I'm not even sure if I can take on her anymore. If Nu is concerned about this Armagus thing, then I can't act rashly. At the very least that girl's concern seems to be genuine.

...Now that I think about it, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the girl who has a crush on that asshole. While the NOL uniform is very concealing with the coat on, I can still see that she's not half bad. Doesn't seem like a bitch either although she's kinda nosy. While I don't doubt Noel's words, I'd still rather see everything myself.

"So, miss, what's your name? I'm Nu and this is Mu. Are you from NOL?" - I ask.

"I'm Tsubaki Yayoi and yes, I serve the Imperator." - she replies...Yayoi, huh. That explains a few things.

"Do you, like, catch bad guys or something?"

"You...You could say that. It's our duty to sustain peace and order while bringing the wicked to justice."

"Don't you guys have like a cool phrase you say before you start kicking ass?" - I ask, just barely keeping my shit together to avoid bursting out laughing. This is so freaking stupid. I'm pretty sure even Noel thinks so because she's giving me an odd look.

"Y-Yes, we do."

"Then say it! Say it!" - I demand, now intentionally using a whiny tone of voice that makes me cringe internally. I have to make sure she can tolerate annoying brats like Jin.

"Alright...Dispatched in mankind's darkest hour, we are knights of the blue flame."

"Nonono, I'm not feeling it! Say it again, but with gusto!"

"...Dispatched in mankind's darkest hour, we are knights of the blue flame!" - she repeats...with more enthusiasm than I expected. She even assumes the right pose and everything.

"Man, you guys are so cool!" - I exclaim, putting a smile on Tsubaki's face.

"O-Of course. We must set the example for others to follow...for the sake of a brighter future." - the redhead says and she looks like she actually believes herself. An example to follow my ass.

"Hey, do you have, like, a guy you like?" - I ask. Somehow, this is what makes her lose composure and not the stupid creed. The blonde doesn't seem to take this question well either. Admittedly, this is getting kinda...surreal.

"W-W-What kind of question is that?!" - she stammers, a little redder in the face.

"Do you at least have friends?"

"Yes, I do...The best friends I could hope for..." - the redhead replies before averting her eyes. Something's clearly bothering her and I think I have a good idea of what exactly is the problem.

"What's troubling you...miss?" - Noel asks and she looks about as miserable as her friend.

"I...I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that." - Tsubaki replies.

"Is someone making you do something you don't want to do?" - I ask and the officer quickly turns back to look at me. So I was right.

"That's..."

"Is that why you're wasting time watching over us instead of doing your job?" - I add. Judging by her expression, I hit it on the nose.

"You're...You shouldn't worry about a stranger." - Tsubaki says, shaking her head. Real hypocritical of her considering this is exactly why she's here.

"I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked something like this." - the blonde apologizes, lowering her gaze towards her feet. If I didn't know her better, I'd think she's trying to guilt-trip her friend.

"Y-You don't have to apologize...You really are like her. I...I guess it'll be okay if I put it like this...I've been told that...people I'm fond of made a mistake. I have to find and...reprimand them, but...I'm not sure if they deserve it and yet I have to do it. I...don't know what to do." - the officer tries to explain.

"What if you pretended that you're trying to find them?" - Noel suggests. Tsubaki looks like she has just realized something obvious, but then she shakes her head.

"For me to procrastinate...I-I-I can't diso-"

"Hey, the world is a big place to live in and we're all so small. How can one girl find someone here so easily? It's not like they're gonna tay in one place either." - I say. It doesn't seem like she's convinced just yet, but I can tell that she's thinking about it. Still, this isn't a difficult decision to make that would require much thought to be put into it. How deeply is the Library's bullshit rooted into her head?

Before she can say anything in response, someone's hand grips the girl's shoulder, making her jump. It turns out to be Lambda...that expression...

"I-I'm sorry, I was...What...What's going on?" - the officer mumbles, repeatedly switching between looking at the newcomer and at us.

"H-Hey, sis! Took you long enough! Are the others coming too?" - I ask. The replica tilts her head, then nods.

"Sister...Would you happen to know a girl by the name of Noel? Noel Vermillion? She looks a lot like...all of you." - Tsubaki asks, her gaze lingering on Noel herself.

"Why are you asking?"

At the sound of Saya's voice, Tsubaki turns around so quickly that I swear she should have broken her neck. Now she looks completely lost, surrounded by four different girls with the exact same face and almost the same voice as her friends. Saya merely raises an eyebrow at the sight of it and Amane simply waves at the redhead.

"I...I must go!"

And there she goes. I kinda feel bad for her, but if this gets her off my ass, then it's fine by me.

"What was that all about?" - my sister asks.

"Eh, long story. I'll tell you later." - I say with a shrug.

"I hope she makes the right choice..." - Noel mumbles.

As we resume advancing towards our destination, I can't help but think of what I saw back then. That look in Lambda's eyes...I've seen it before. I really hope my suspicions will be left just that.

* * *

A small pale hand reaches out for a cup, just barely avoiding spilling its contents. Such a drink should not be consumed by a person of his age and many have said so in the past, but he couldn't care less about that. The boy merely stares at the cup, his twin red orbs watching the ripples recede until the liquid's surface becomes still. With a deep sigh, he quickly downs his sake. Not even he knows when he picked up this habit, but it does help him calm his mind and in a time like this, it's almost necessary.

Those threats are still not taken care of. That thought simply refuses to leave his head. In a fit of rage, the boy throws the cup against the wall, pulling his white hair until the eight braids come undone...and then, just as quickly, he calms down. As much as he wants to tear them apart himself, he cannot afford being so careless. While his time is limited, he has to be patient. He will not repeat his mistakes.

"I'll save you...just wait a little longer..."


End file.
